The Mudblood Revolution
by Hamm On Wry
Summary: Side story to He Did it His Way. Purebloods have all of the advantages in Wizarding Britain, and some of the 'less than pure' folks are getting pretty sick of it. What to do? How about change the world as they know it?
1. Prologue

_**A/N: This is a rewrite in order to keep it in line with "His Way". The original posting had the students under the old House system that was done away with in my main story.**_

_**Disclaimer:**__ This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended._

_**A/N: **__This is a side story to my current work, "He Did it His Way". I had this idea a while back and made mention of it in the main story, but I don't want to break up the continuity of the main story, I will just reference things in here along the way._

**The Mudblood Revolution**

**Prologue**

The first anyone heard of what would be called The Mudblood Revolution by its supporters and detractors alike; was on a crisp autumn day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It came in the form of a question asked, of all places, in the extremely boring History of Magic lesson taught by the equally boring Professor Binns, a ghost who could describe death and destruction in such a way that his lectures acted as a cure for insomnia. The question was asked by a young man named Justin Finch-Fletchley, a sixth year (former) Hufflepuff.

Mr. Finch-Fletchley was a brilliant young muggleborn who had, prior to being notified by Hogwarts about his magical abilities, been tapped to attend the exclusive school named Eton in the non-magical world. It was a surprise to many in later years that he had been sorted into Hufflepuff, his brilliance should have made him the perfect Ravenclaw, but for his ethos of hard work and loyalty to those who deserved it. Justin had read not only all of the assigned textbooks through sixth year, but also the seventh year text, and something confused him. He raised his hand and got the professor's attention.

Having someone do something other than sleep in his class, or in the rare situation of Hermione Granger, actually take notes, surprised the professor to the point that he dropped his spectacles, although they, being as insubstantial as he, did not fall to the floor. Professor Binns snatched them out of the air, put them back on, then peered at his student.

"Yes, Mr. Finch-Fletchley? Is there a problem?"

"Not a problem sir, just a question. For the past five and a half years, you have spoken on Goblin revolts, wars with giants and werewolves, vampire massacres, and various Dark Lords. I have also read the assigned curriculum for the course through all seven years. There has not been, either in this class or the textbook, any mention of muggleborn and half bloods asking for or demanding equal rights in the wizarding world, at least in Britain. In your experience, has there ever been such a movement?"

The good professor frowned; he was not used to students who actually thought for themselves. Since this was such a rare occurrence, he would humour the young man and attempt to answer to the best of his ability.

"There have occasionally been rumbles of discontent, why I do not know. In the late 1600s there were some muggleborns who wanted to change the government, when they complained, they of course, were ignored. After all, the Lords of the Wizengamot rule by divine authority, handed down from a time shortly after the Founders. The malcontents in question decided to leave their place in society and emigrate with muggles to the American Colonies. They were never heard from again. Also in the 1700s and 1800s, there were a few grumblers who were turned over to the muggle authorities and sent to Australia. They also never came back. Was there a particular reason for this line of questioning?"

"Actually sir, there is. I have observed that there are no muggleborns and very few half bloods working in positions of responsibility in the Government here. The vast majority of muggleborns are either stuck in low paying jobs where they have no real chance of advancement, or they build their own businesses, becoming the shop owners of Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade."

"I fail to see the problem. They have a chance for advancement under a capitalist system."

"But not enough of a chance, sir. Although the muggleborn and half bloods own the businesses, all of the buildings are owned by the old pureblood families who charge so much rent that the shopkeepers cannot get ahead. They are also taxed differently. While the old pureblood families pay a very low tax on investment income, the shopkeepers and wage earners pay a much higher tax because their money comes from earned income. The muggleborn pay for most of the government that they have no say in. The Wizengamot consists of all old pureblood families, and the Minister, although not usually a noble, is always at least a pureblood commoner. There is taxation, but no representation."

The professor frowned. "I don't know quite what to tell you other than the natural order of things is for the rich and powerful to be in charge, and the others should be grateful that they have a place in the magical world, rather than to have to struggle through life as a muggle, earning their keep by their sweat and toil. Now, enough of that, in 1261, the goblin chief Ripclaw gathered his troops together………"

The class, which had come to life for a few minutes, promptly dropped back off to sleep, many silently cursing Justin for causing enough interest in the class as to wake them up. In many of their dreams, however, a small spark was lit.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Dorm 4_

_Later that day_

"Justin!" a young female voice was heard to call out. The voice belonged to the pretty blond witch named Susan Bones.

"Yes Susan?"

"What was all that in Binn's class today? Are you attempting to break a fine old Hogwarts tradition by actually having us learn something in History of Napping?"

Justin laughed, but then grew serious. "Susan, let me answer in the form of a question. What are your plans when you leave Hogwarts?"

"I plan to become a healer, why?"

"Do you have any idea how many non-purebloods hold the position of Healer in Britain?"

"I'm sure there are quite a few, but I have no idea what the figure is."

"The answer is 'none'. There are plenty Medi-Witches and Medi-Wizards, but no Healers. They just never seem to be able to pass their certification in front of the Board, which, by the way, is made up of Purebloods. And of course, the reason it is made up of Purebloods is that the Board consists of all Healers. There have been many who passed their written exams, both those to get into Healer school and the finals, but the few who pass the orals to enter Healer school just never make it past the Orals for certification. They are then either shunted into a career as a Medi-Witch/Wizard, give up their dream, or emigrate to a different country and become Healers there. Some countries have very small Healer schools because they count on our country to send them qualified people through the discrimination practiced here."

To say that Ms. Bones was floored would be putting it mildly. "I never knew…"

"Of course not; you are a Pureblood. Those things will never come up unless you are on the certifying board. Don't get me wrong Susan, I have no problem with you, but I sometimes feel that I have wasted my time here trying to obtain a quality education. Had I ignored the letter and gone to Eton, I would be on track for a great career. Now I am over five years behind and stuck with my choice." During this time, other Dorm 4 students had taken note of the conversation.

"So what is the solution; do you plan some sort of uprising?"

"Heavens no! We already have a bunch of Pureblood supremacists waging war to get rid of us. I believe what will happen is that many of us will take our magical educations here and leave for other countries. This is what is known in the muggle world as 'brain drain', and the upshot is that it weakens the country of origin and strengthen the countries of arrival. It is really a shame, but I foresee Britain's magical world collapsing within the next hundred years, much sooner should the Supremacists win this war. In a short while, should the dark forces grow stronger, the muggleborns and half bloods will emigrate, after all, what person who is already a second class citizen wants to stick around and defend the country that thinks so little of them."

"Professor Binns spoke about the muggleborns who emigrated with muggles to the colonies; some of their descendants are the reason that America is no longer a group of colonies under Great Britain, but rather an independent country. The families of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, two wizards who were instrumental in the American Revolution, emigrated to the colonies in the 1600s. Jefferson became the American's third president; in Britain, he would have been lucky to become a shopkeeper in thrall to a pureblood landlord. Although in Britain they called the American Revolution 'The Presbyterian Rebellion', with Horace Walpole of the British Parliament claiming that 'Cousin America has run off with a Presbyterian Parson', referring to a pastor named Witherspoon who signed the Declaration of Independence; the root cause of the revolt was similar to the situation we have here today. The people were taxed and used as sweat labor to feed the Lords and King here. They were taxed without representation, and had no real ability to secure their and their family's futures. They revolted simply because they had no other place to go where it would be better."

"So where do you plan to go when you finish school?" asked a third year muggleborn.

"Probably either America or Australia. I don't fancy having to learn a new language, although I could probably fit in well in Canada. Most other countries have no blood supremacy movements, other than a few in Eastern Europe, and would fight fiercely against anyone trying to change their system, including our present Dark Lord."

"This is terrible," said Susan. "But what can anyone do about it?"

"At this point, I don't know that anything can be done other than either leave or grab some popcorn and watch the destruction of society. Don't worry though Susan, with you being a pureblood, and from a noble family to boot, you should be able to keep your dreams and future, at least until either this Dark Lord or the next one finishes off the country. I would however suggest that you move most of your assets out of the country, because I foresee things coming to a flash point soon."

"Surely it cannot be as bad as you say," said Ernie MacMillan, a fellow sixth year, but a pureblood.

"You can deny it all you want, but the facts are out there, you can discover the same things that I did with a bit of hard work and research. Since you are a pureblood, you have never felt the sting of bigotry. The worst anyone could say about you is that you were a 'Puff."

At that moment, a divide began in the common room of the Dorm 4. Several first year muggleborn students began to write letters home to ask their parents if they could withdraw from Hogwarts and return to muggle life; half blood students writing home to find out if it was as bad as Mr. Finch- Fletchley had claimed. Older students who had too much invested in the system to leave it began rethinking their career goals and thinking about emigration possibilities. Within two hours, all of the school owls and many privately owned owls were streaking to their destinations, almost emptying the Owlery.

The other thing that happened was that Dorm 4 students of less than pureblood status began to speak with their counterparts in other dorms, telling them of Mr. Finch-Fletchley's findings, and asking questions that had no ready answer. Those other students took the conversation to their fellow half blood and muggleborn students in their dorms with similar results as Dorm 4.

No one knew it at that time, but a revolution had begun.


	2. Rumbles of Discontent

**Chapter 2**

**Rumbles of Discontent**

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Office of the Headmistress_

Minerva McGonagall was not having a good day. She had suddenly been deluged by owls from angry parents, either lambasting her for supposedly having blood purity views and deceiving parents and children into ruining their lives by giving up normality to become serfs under a racist system or telling her that they were pulling their children out of Hogwarts and the magical world. The latter were all muggleborn first years. Should these parents continue on this path, it would effectively cut the first year enrollment in half. There were also parents of the higher year students requesting transcripts so that they could transfer their children to magical schools outside of Britain. The schools they wanted the transcripts sent to all had one thing in common; they were in countries where lineage was not considered in the careers of graduates.

Minerva's problem was that since she was a pureblood, none of the muggleborn students trusted her enough to bring their concerns to her attention. She had, on this day, called on the smartest muggleborn student in the school in an attempt to slow the flow of students from her school. Hermione Granger was now sitting in her office having been informed of the 'brain drain' in the school. She had read the letters, those that had not already exploded and burnt up, and gotten a synopsis of those which had. She sat there wringing her hands nervously.

"Headmistress, I don't know what to tell you, other than I happen to agree with them. I myself have plans to leave the country following my graduation." At Minerva's protest, she continued. "Yes, I know that as part of Harry's so-called 'inner circle' that I could get any job I wanted, as a token 'mudblood' to show how accepting the Ministry is of us, but it would last until people forgot about Harry and our sacrifices. And that day will come, mark my words; the wizarding public here is very good about denying reality. At that time, I, and any other non- purebloods would be shuffled into some meaningless job to get us out of the public eye. We would still not have a voice in government, we would be doing the paying, but be left out of the playing."

"Now I am supposedly so close to Harry that the other muggleborn and half bloods do not trust me to give me information on their plans, and I have barely spoken to Harry or Neville since their advancement into the rarified air of the Noble's Dorm. I cannot really relate to the political games he and the others are playing since I will never be allowed to join them. Is it any wonder that non-purebloods want to leave this corrupt society? There is not a single professor in this school who is less than a pureblood, the last was Hagrid, and look how the government turned on him when the blood purists needed a scapegoat. Even the Muggle Studies teacher is a clueless pureblood who knows less about muggle society than the average six year old muggle child. The purebloods are taught that muggle firearms are limited to single shot muskets, they have no idea that muggles have weapons that could level London in less than five seconds and kill everyone in it, muggle or magical, and make the land uninhabitable for the next millennia. Muggles have traveled to the moon and sent unmanned probes out to the farthest reaches of the solar system. Oh, and I almost forgot Professor Snape, the half blood that Dumbledore kept around as a pet, blackmailing him to work for next to nothing. What has wizarding society in Britain done other than stagnate? If I decided, at this point, to remain in Britain, I would have thrown away the last five and a half years of my life to become nothing better than a scullery maid. Had I of known then what I know now, I would have left the whole lot of you to rot and gotten a real education that would prepare me for a career of _my_ choice, not one decided by some inbred bigot whose only qualification happens to be that their parent's family tree does not fork! In America, those type of people are called 'rednecks' and 'trailer trash', most of them are poor and uneducated, here they are considered upper crust and run the country. Headmistress, can you look me in the eye and give me one good reason for any of the non-purebloods to stay in this country? Or for that matter, in this school? I have been belittled as a 'mudblood' ever since I came here by those not intelligent enough to carry my books, let alone my class load and grade average. I _have_ earned the right to vote, to vote with my feet. The only reason I have not already transferred out is Harry, although now that he has become one of the pureblood princes, one of the oppressors, I have been rethinking that decision. I do know that any non-pureblood student who seeks my advice will be told to flee and not look back."

Minerva sat down heavily, a tear forming in one eye. She had no idea that, of all her students, Hermione Granger felt so strongly. Right now, the only thing keeping Hogwarts afloat was the tuition of the non-pureblood students. Not only were many of them paying higher tuition due to the old families having prepaid tuitions during times when the rates were lower, but the pureblood population would not support the payroll and upkeep expenses, let alone all of the other costs.

"Tell me, Miss Granger, when did you begin to feel this way? And why did you not come to me earlier?"

"No offense Professor," Hermione said a bit frostily. "But you are one of _them._ A pureblood. You deceived not only me, but all of the other mixed blood and muggleborns with that ridiculous '_career counseling'_ session. You knew as well as anyone that we would never qualify for most of the careers we chose, not because we could not qualify academically, but because our blood status would keep us from it. As horrible as she was, at least Umbitch was honest. She knew and tried to tell us what our position would be in British wizarding society, you fed us faerie tales. And with that background, you expect me to confide in you? I may be many things, Headmistress, but I am not stupid. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do." Not waiting for a dismissal, Hermione stood and left without a backward glance.

McGonagall stared after her in shock. Although this conversation was held behind closed doors, she had no doubt that it would be spread throughout the castle in no time. Already there were portraits in the office, the subjects of which, were merrily rushing to other paintings to spread this juicy bit of gossip. The word would spread between the students and the classes would be more polarized than ever before. As much as she tried to treat the students equally, she was guilty in the fact that she never prepared her muggleborns and half bloods for the reality facing them when they left school. She had somehow believed the half bloods would have been prepared by their parents and she always hoped against hope that somehow wizarding society would change to embrace the muggleborns. She was a fool in this; she would receive letters from former muggleborn students telling about their great jobs, but ignoring the fact that those letters were never posted in Britain.

Minerva suddenly had a flash of inspiration; there _was_ something she could do about it, something she never had the authority to do before. Sitting down at her desk, she took a piece of parchment and began to write.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Later that evening, Hermione was finishing up a particularly trying Charms essay, when she was approached by her more-or-less boyfriend, Terry Boot. He sat down across from her, not bothering to give her the usual hug and peck on the cheek. She looked at him quizzically.

"Hermione, I was approached by a group of students to ask you to come to a meeting. I can't really give you any information on it, but I would urge you to go and keep an open mind."

Hermione felt a thrill of anticipation. She grasped Terry's hands and gazed in his eyes. Dropping her voice, she asked, "Would this be a _political_ meeting?"

Terry grinned. "Nice try, Hermione. Trust me, all of your questions will be answered." He leaned across the table and kissed her, effectively shutting her up.

"What time is the meeting?" she asked.

"How does now work for you?" Her answer to that was to roll up her parchment, put her books back in the return cart, and gather up her materials and place them in her rutsack.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she kidded him.

Hand in hand, Terry led her on a winding route through the castle, up and down staircases and through different corridors. Every so often he would reach out and, flicking his finger, make a ringing sound on the breastplate of different suits of armour. There would be an echoing ring when he would do that. Finally, they ended up on what Hermione surmised as a sixth floor corridor outside of an unused classroom. Terry opened the door for her and she was shocked to see what must have been every other muggleborn and most of the mixed blood students of all years in the room. When she had entered, one by one the students stood and began clapping until the entire group was applauding her. Confused, she asked, "What is this all about?"

"What it is about, Miss Granger," said Justin, "is the brilliant way that you told off McGonagall today. One of the students overheard a couple of the portraits gossiping about it in a hallway and asked what they were speaking about. She got the whole story and came to me. I would like to formally invite you to join our little group. We call ourselves 'the Mudblood Rebellion'. Our purpose is to do nothing less than to turn Wizarding Britain on its bloody head!"

Hermione got a feral look on her face. "Tell me more."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Three hours later, Hermione had a whole new circle of friends and a whole new cause to espouse. House elf rights had given way to muggleborn rights; it was only fitting, the elves did not want freedom, would fight against it, but muggleborns yearned to be equals in society. Hermione was a natural born crusader, now she had a crusade worthy of her. It gave her a twinge of conscience to think of Harry and Ron as 'the enemy', but until they proved that they were allies, there could be no other way. This did not mean that she would stop working with Harry and the others to defeat Voldemort and company, after all, Snake Face was undoubtedly an enemy of all non-purebloods as well as any other decent witch or wizard. She would just have to compartmentalize her causes.

By the time they were finished with the meeting, she had charmed a membership parchment the same way that she had done the one for the DA, and had gotten together with Terry and a couple of other former Ravenclaws to place the unused classroom under the Fidelus Charm, with Justin as the Secret Keeper. This would keep the room off the Marauder's Map and any other instrument which might give them away. The last order of business was to make a timetable of events designed to put a shock into the power structure. Many of these things would have to be done with the approval and assistance of adult wizards, but they were doable. They would also need the help of certain purebloods to act behind the scenes. This was Hermione's job, to present their case to some pureblood wizards with authority, the major one being one Lord Harry Potter-Black-Hufflepuff. She steeled herself and headed toward the Owlery to send a message.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Harry had just finished a 'meeting' with his brides, Daphne and Jennifer, in reality a songfest that left him somewhat weak at the knees, when he was assaulted by his owl, Hedwig. He had not really had much time for her lately, so she had been more than willing to carry the message from Hermione just so that she could get her frustration out on Harry for his perceived abandonment. She landed on his shoulder and gave his ear a not-so-gentle nip, then landed on the table and stretched out her leg imperiously.

"Whoa, what's got into you?" he asked, rubbing his ear with one hand while reaching out with the other to take the scroll. Hedwig's answer was to glare at him, then turn away as if ignoring him. He read the request from Hermione to meet him in the Room of Requirement while absently scratching Hedwig in her ear area. He penned out a reply saying that he would be there in a half hour, then rolled up the parchment and asked Hedwig to take it back to Hermione. She glared at him a moment before stretching out her leg, gave him a lonely hoot, and prepared to take off.

"Hedwig, stay with Hermione so that I can see you a bit while we are in the ROR. I'll bring you a nice treat when I come." She gave a happy hoot, nipped his finger and flew out the owl door. Harry quickly grabbed a roll of parchment and a couple of quills and a bottle of ink in the event he needed to take notes, then conjured up a small cage. He went out into the hall, pointed his wand down the hall, and called out, _"ACCIO MOUSE!"_ and caught a nice fat one sucked out of a mouse hole down the corridor. He knew Hedwig would appreciate that even more than a standard owl treat. She seemed pretty upset and he momentarily felt a bit guilty for ignoring her so long. He took the mouse and placed it into the cage, then headed toward the seventh floor.

Reaching the tapestry across from the Room of Requirements, he waited for Hermione and Hedwig to arrive. When they appeared, he let Hermione do the honors, curious to see what kind of things she would place in the room. When he went through the door, he saw that the room was empty other than a table and two chairs, lit by two candles. He could see that this session would be all business, no idle chit-chat. He showed Hedwig the mouse, and when he took it out of the cage, she launched off Hermione's shoulder. Harry took the mouse by the tail and tossed it into the air, where Hedwig snatched it and headed for a perch that she apparently requested from the room. Hermione shivered.

"I know in my mind that she is a predator, but it is easier to ignore it when she hunts outside the castle or when I feed her owl treats," she said.

"You do know that those owl treats are made of ground up mice and rats, didn't you?"

"Actually, I didn't, and I could have gone my whole life without knowing that," she said wryly. They sat down and Harry took out his parchment and quill.

"So Hermione, have you gotten any farther in separating Snape from his Dark Mark?" Harry asked.

"Yes, quite a bit actually. I will be presenting our findings at the next meeting. I called you here about something else though. Harry, I am not sure if I will be staying in Britain, especially once Voldemort is defeated."

"What? This is pretty sudden, what happened?"

"No one thing, Harry, there just is not any good reason to stay. I wouldn't have any sort of a decent career, and I have no more rights in Britain than a house elf."

"Now why would you think that? You are the smartest witch in your generation, and will be on the winning side when I put down Voldemort for good."

"Which would mean that I could be thrown a bone as one of Harry Potter's friends. As soon as the war was forgotten, and you know it would be, I would just be another mudblood, good for nothing but working in someone's shop, or opening up my own shop, renting from some old pureblood family, never able to really own anything or get ahead."

"Hermione, when Voldemort and his bunch are gone, those attitudes will change, the blood purity people will have lost their power."

"That's just the thing, their power is enshrined in law. If you are not a pureblood, you have no say in this society, no representation, no vote. You are a subject, not a citizen. You pay taxes, much higher taxes than the purebloods per capita, and that money goes to support the power structure and to keep the commoners oppressed. Stopping Voldemort might stop the killing, it does nothing else for non-purebloods. I would have been better off to have remained in the muggle world. I am now an alien in both worlds, unless I emigrate I will have no future. And I am not the only one."

"Does this have anything to do with that rumour about a spat between you and McGonagall? She sent me an owl wanting to meet me later about a matter of importance."

"Probably, but I'm not sure. I did have somewhat the same conversation with her earlier. She wanted to know why most of the first year muggleborns are withdrawing from school and the older years transferring to schools out of the country. I just gave her my honest opinion."

"Hermione, societal changes come slowly, what would you suggest I do? What would have to change in this country to reverse the trend?"

"Before I tell you, I want a Wizard's Oath that nothing I say will be repeated, unless you present it as your own idea."

"Don't you trust me?" Seeing her hard look, he sighed. "I had no idea it had come to this. I, Harry James Potter, also known as Lord Black and Lord Hufflepuff, vow to keep in confidence anything told to me by Hermione Granger unless I present it as my own idea." The magic swirled and Hermione accepted his oath. "Now, what is so important that you couldn't trust your first friend?"

"Simple Harry, there is going to be a bloodless revolution. Either we are made equals in this society, or we are all leaving it. The muggleborns and mixed bloods have prepared a manifesto of our demands, and in order to get anything done, we need your influence. We have been less than second class citizens for years and we are no longer willing to lay under the table with the dogs waiting for scraps. Those of us familiar with the muggle world are planning to present a whole new concept to this hidebound society, that of civil disobedience."

Harry looked at his friend in a whole new light. "I never would have figured you for a revolutionary. So, do have this manifesto of yours?"

Hermione reached in her bag and pulled out a scroll. She handed it to Harry and he unrolled it, laid it on the table and began to read:

**The Mudblood Manifesto**

**We, the mixed-blood and muggleborn magical peoples of Britain, having suffered discrimination and prejudice throughout the ages, hereby state to the ruling powers that we have joined together to change wizarding society and bring it into a new age of fairness and equality. Our grievances are many, our demands are non-negotiable. **

**Our Grievances**

**We have no true representation in Government, Wizarding Britain is ruled by the wealthy Purebloods, for the wealthy Purebloods.**

**We are locked out of satisfying careers, not because of our abilities, but rather because of the built in prejudices of the Purebloods who oversee the accreditation panels.**

**We are also relegated to low paying Ministry jobs with no opportunities for real advancement due to those same prejudices by the Pureblood hiring policies.**

**We are taxed on our labours at much higher rates than the old Pureblood families who live on the wealth of their ancestors.**

**In order to compete in private business, we must pay excessive rent to the old pureblood families who own the prime commercial properties. We have no negotiation powers and current law prevents us from organizing or joining guilds for protection.**

**Only muggleborn and mixed bloods are subject to the underage restrictions on magic, their homes are monitored, whereas the homes of purebloods are not.**

**Our Demands**

**We demand equal representation in the Wizengamot by the creation of a House of Commons as a co-equal branch to the House of Lords with members elected by popular ballot of all peoples in Wizarding Britain.**

**We demand that the Accreditation Boards be reconfigured with a equal mix of mixed bloods, muggleborn, and Purebloods. In order to achieve this mix, applicants who have passed the standardized tests with high scores but have been rejected by the prejudices of the present boards will be certified in their career choices and appointed to the Boards. Granting of professional licenses shall be by two-thirds vote of the boards.**

**We demand that all Ministry jobs be opened to all people without regard to blood status and standardized tests be used for placement.**

**We demand that the position of Minister of Magic be decided by popular election by all citizens of Wizarding Britain.**

**We demand an equitable taxation system which evens the tax structures between investment income and earned income.**

**We demand the right to join and organize guilds for protection and representation.**

**We demand the right to negotiate rents and purchase commercial properties in prime commercial areas.**

**We demand that the underage restrictions on magic be evenly applied or abolished.**

**We reserve all non-violent means to achieve our demands, up to and including labour shutdowns, emigration, refusal to pay taxes, rents and fees. We also reserve the right to gather peacefully to demand redress for our grievances. **

Harry looked up from the document. "You really are serious about this, aren't you?"

"As serious as an Unforgivable Curse. We mean to have equality and we will not be dissuaded with fancy words and empty promises. What we are asking from you is to support us in the Wizengamot, be our representative, argue our case. Don't get me wrong, the Wizengamot is not going to suddenly roll over and give up their inherited power, but this will at least bring it to their attention."

"That I can do. I just hope that this crusade won't open the door for Voldemort to come in and use his pureblood philosophy to tear this country apart."

"Harry, it is already torn apart, Voldemort is just one faction. Either Britain will change or we will change it, either by forming a separate society apart from the present ministry, or we will leave and let the purebloods breed themselves into extinction, then come back and pick up the pieces when purebloods are no longer a viable force. Apart from a few commoner families such as the Weasleys, purebloods are not even producing at replacement rates. Almost all families with more than one child are mixed blood or muggleborn. Out of the 20,000 or so magicals in this country, over half of them are non-purebloods. Should all of the non-purebloods who have emigrated due to prejudice return, the population would triple. We have the numbers and the talent, all we want is the recognition and equality."

Harry stood up. "Do you mind if I take this with me? I will need it to draft legislation for your crusade."

"Go ahead, there are about 10,000 copies being made as we speak. We will give you a chance to introduce your legislation before we go public with it." She stood and gave Harry a peck on the cheek. "Let me know."

"Will do."


	3. Tightening the Screws

**Chapter 3**

**Tightening the Screws**

A/N: This chapter takes place directly after Chapter 26 of 'He Did it His Way'.

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Office of the Headmistress_

"Well," said Harry, "I think that this is about the best that we can hope for at this time. It takes in all of the salient points of your Manifesto. I will warn you though, by presenting it as a single package, it stands a good chance of being shot down. Are you sure that you don't want to present it in separate bills? It would make a lot more sense to get some through now and the rest later instead of the whole thing going down the tubes."

"Harry," said Hermione, "we expect it to be rejected, and have factored that into our plans. When you are going to dock a horse's tail, you do it no favor to whack it off an inch at a time. If we try to get our rights a bit at a time, the Wizengamot will give us just enough to keep us under their yoke. It could take another two or three hundred years to get it all enacted otherwise. Try your best to get support, we are not fooling ourselves thinking it will actually pass, but we will be able to show who our real enemies are."

"Okay, I will work the dorm and wait until your Manifesto is posted throughout Britain. After that, I will introduce it into the Wizengamot."

"Thanks Harry, that's all we ask."

"Minerva, could you speak with the Minister and try to get his support?"

"I believe that could be arranged."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Noble's Dorm_

"Harry, there is no bloody way that I can vote for that piece of offal!" Robert Avery was in a meltdown. He was one of the few Nobles who had planned on taking Voldemort's mark prior to the Goblin attack that wiped out the former heads of the seven dark Noble families. "You and Draco told me when I went along with you and rejected the Dark Lord that I wouldn't have to give up my ideals. Now you're asking me to do just that."

"And what ideals would those be?" Harry lifted an eyebrow. "Voldemort was killing off just as many purebloods as he was mixed bloods. Remember, he is a half blood himself."

"I know, and that is one reason I went along with you. I still believe that purebloods should be the rulers of Magical Britain. I might go along with some parts such as the taxation, but we are pureblood for a reason. It is our destiny!" Crabbe and Goyle nodded their heads in agreement.

"Harry, you can count on my vote," stated Neville Longbottom firmly. "Don't get me wrong, I like the perks I have, but I also don't want to keep an oligarchy that gives rise to a new dark lord every 30 or 40 years. Our land has been torn by war for far too long."

"Thanks Neville, how about you, Draco?"

"What do you think? I'm going to wait to see how the voting goes. I'll pass on the first vote, if it looks like it is going down in flames, then I'll vote for it. I don't particularly want it to pass, but I also believe that it may end up in an uprising. If that happens, what we have now is going to disappear anyway, and I will want the winning side to remember that I didn't oppose them. If it appears to have the votes without me to pass, something I doubt, I will vote against it to keep my credibility in this new 'House of Lords'."

"Daphne?"

"It wouldn't look very good for me to vote against my husband, would it? I'm in, but don't embarrass me."

"Theo?"

"I'm with Draco on this one."

"Pansy, how about you?"

"I've spent too many years as the pureblood princess to change now. I appreciate all you have done for my family, but I can't go along with you on this one."

"I'm sure my brother will vote against it," said Jennifer. "He just took over the House, I don't see him doing anything to dilute what power and influence he has gathered."

"I thought that might be the case. Look, you guys who are voting against it, as much as I would like you to change your mind, if this doesn't pass, it will be out of our hands anyway. They won't wait for us to give them their rights, they will probably take them. I just hope that we can survive a civil war as well as Voldemort's terrorists."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

That night, a parchment entitled 'The Mudblood Manifesto' was delivered to every magical person in Britain. In some households, there was outrage, but in many more, a spark of defiance was lit.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"_**Mudblood Act Goes Down to Defeat!"**_

**Potter's Posse Evenly Split!**

_Exclusive to The Daily Prophet_

_Staff Writer Mirabella Waverly_

_Yesterday, in a defeat for the Founder's Heirs, a bill introduced by Lord Hufflepuff, Harry Potter-Black, and supported by no less than Lord Gryffindor, Arthur Weasley, and Lady Ravenclaw, Minerva McGonagall, lost in a lopsided vote in the Wizengamot. The bill would have enacted the key provisions of the so-called Mudblood Manifesto, a document that was spread throughout Britain the evening prior to the session. Despite such people as Lords Malfoy, Nott, Longbottom, and Lady Greengrass voting in favor, Lord Hufflepuff's formerly solid coalition split, with several members sponsored by or previously allied with Lord Hufflepuff deserting his camp to vote in favor of the status quo._

_Minister of Magic Amos Diggory was heard to comment, "too much, too soon." Lady Ravenclaw brought up the shrinking enrollment at Hogwarts and the fact that without muggleborn and mixed blood students, the facility would be required to close its doors, all to no avail. Lord Gryffindor, a longtime supporter of muggles and muggleborn, stated that he "was fearful for the future of Wizarding Britain", since so many muggleborn and mixed bloods were emigrating to other countries following graduation from Hogwarts._

_In other action, a hastily inked bill requiring Hogwarts graduates to remain in Britain at least fourteen years after graduation was narrowly defeated when the alliances shifted again. A bill establishing a head tax to recoup lost revenue from people leaving Britain was passed by a very narrow margin. There was an amendment to the bill that exempted all persons who could show a wizarding genealogy going back at least two generations. The Potter-Black bloc voted against both of these bills, with Lord Avery abstaining._

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_The Leaky Cauldron_

_London_

Amos Diggory and his wife stepped through the door at the Leaky Cauldron, intending to do a day of shopping in Diagon Alley. He never noticed how the conversation stopped upon his entrance. "Just passing through, Tom," he said pleasantly.

"Hold on a minute, Guv'nor," said Tom firmly. "There is a two Galleon charge for purebloods who want to access the Alley through here. Half bloods are one knut and muggleborns free. I need that up front, and return trips are half of that."

"That's outrageous! How do you justify charging like that?"

"Probably the same way that you justify taxing us without representation. 'From those with the ability, to those with needs'. Now either pay up or find some other way in."

"How would you like the Ministry to revoke your license?"

"Go ahead, I'll seal the entrance and sell out to muggles. I have had offers."

Diggory saw that he was in unfriendly territory, so, grumbling, he took four galleons out of his pocket and tossed them onto the bar. As he headed toward the back, Tom laughingly reminded him to save two galleons for the return trip. When he reached the access point, he saw, written on the bricks, "No taxation without representation!" He tried to clear it off but whoever emblazoned it on the bricks had charmed it to be resistant to cleaning efforts. Tapping the bricks with his wand, the access point opened and he and his wife entered the Alley.

"Where are you going first, dear?"

"I'm going over to the apothecary, then to put in a grocery order to be delivered, and you?"

"I need a couple of new robes. Meet me at the ice cream parlour?" His wife agreed, then gave him a peck on the cheek.

As the Minister walked toward Madam Maulkin's, he took notice of his surroundings. In what seemed to be every shop window, was a banner with "No Taxation Without Representation!" Along side that banner was a small parchment, the Mudblood Manifesto. He snorted, 'Let's see how brazen they are when I issue a new regulation on window content', he thought.

Stepping into the robe shop, he saw that there were a couple of people waiting. He took a seat and a number. When the person ahead of him was finished, the shop owner beckoned a couple who had entered after him. "Excuse me, I was here first," he said.

Madam Maulkin gave Diggory a glare that would have frozen a volcano. "Your money is no good in here," she stated. "Please leave."

"I've been doing business in here for 45 years," he sputtered. In reply, she pointed toward a pair of signs on the wall. One was a muggle sign reading, 'We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone', and the other was a hastily scrawled sign reading 'Dogs and Purebloods, KEEP OUT!'

"We don't want _your kind_ in here!" she spat. "Now take your 'too much, too soon' arse out of my shop." Turning toward the other customers, a muggleborn witch who worked for the _Daily Prophet_ and her husband, a half blood Quiddich coach, she purred, "Now dears, where were we?"

Diggory left, but found the same reception at every shop he visited. When he met his wife at the ice cream parlour, she was sobbing. "I couldn't get served anywhere! The grocer even told someone's elf that he wouldn't sell to them because they were bound to a pureblood, and when I asked how I could buy food, he rudely told me to either grow my own or go deal with muggle grocers! What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to nip this in the bud," he growled. "I'm going to call a session of the Wizengamot and get a law passed that says that they either sell to anyone, or they get fined. Let's see how high and mighty they are after that! Damned mudbloods!" Diggory heard his wife start and looked up. There were no less that six wands pointed at him, one of them the owner of the ice cream parlour.

"I just heard you insult myself, my wife and my staff. I'll tell you what, if you are so eager to be served, I'll make it on the house." He then levitated two large, four litre containers of rocky road ice cream over the Minister and his wife, then upended them, causing the melted ice cream to dump over both of them. "Now, get your solid gold pureblood arse out of my establishment and DON'T COME BACK!" He screamed the last bit and the other five wand holders began sending sparks at the Minister and his wife, causing them to jump up and run. They ran all the way to the Leaky Cauldron, where a pair of angry gatekeepers collected their two galleons before allowing them to use the portal out of the Alley.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Ministry of Magic_

_Wizengamot Chambers_

Harry, along with the other members of the Noble's Dorm, and Minerva McGonagall, arrived breathlessly in the portkey area of the Wizengamot. From the number of shocks on their rings, they thought it safe to assume that Britain and the Ministry were under attack. They arrived with wands out to see a flustered gatekeeper letting in a large group of members including the Minister. The Minister must have been in an awful hurry, Harry surmised, since he had what appeared to be chocolate ice cream stains on his robe. Everyone hurried in and took their seats.

"_**Oyez, oyez! This special session of the Wizengamot, called by the Minister of Magic and thirty seven other members, is now in session! Chief Warlock Zabini officiating!"**_

"So Amos, why are we down here? Has You-Know-Who launched another attack?" asked Zabini. "Not that I mind getting out of the house…. My wife was bending my ear pretty bad. Seems she had a bad shopping day, not quite sure what the problem was, she was hysterical at the time…. Where was I? Oh yes, why are we here?"

"The shopkeepers are revolting!"

"Oh, I wouldn't go quite that far, I mean Olivander is pretty creepy, but most of them aren't too scary."

"Chief Warlock, what I am trying to say is that since our vote on that damned bill by Lord Hufflepuff, the shopkeepers are refusing to serve Purebloods! Not only did my wife and I barely escape with our lives from Diagon Alley, even the Hogsmeade shopkeepers have banned Purebloods from their premises. And the Leaky Cauldron is charging two galleons a head for Purebloods to access the Alley while letting Muggleborn in free and only charging one knut for mixed bloods. I lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of Lord Hufflepuff with his rabble rousing bill designed to incite the masses!"

"Whoa, hold on there, Amos," said Harry. "This situation was at a head before I introduced that legislation. We gave you the opportunity to do the right thing and you blew us off. Now you want to hex the messenger? I warned you, Lady Ravenclaw and Lord Gryffindor warned you. You have sown the wind, now we shall all reap the whirlwind!"

"Yes Amos," interjected Minerva, "This body was presented with reforms that would have done nothing more than guarantee basic human rights, but in its _wisdom_ decided that most of our population not only did not deserve such rights as representation in government before they were taxed farther, but attempted to bind them further into servitude and managed to tax them even more! I for one, happen to agree with them, and will fight any effort to take away any more of their freedoms."

In the end, despite the opposition of most of the Posse, the Minister got his way and an emergency bill was passed ordering all businesses in magical shopping areas to serve all patrons, regardless of blood or social status, and declaring that anti-government publications were illegal. Harry left them with a warning.

"Amos, you have just become the very person you replaced. I suggest that you find a smart muggleborn and ask them about the outcome of the French Revolution. If the members here continue on this path, pitting yourselves against a much larger population, it might be wise to begin purchasing your shirts with solid steel collars."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_FF Development Ltd_

_London_

Jasper Finch-Fletchley, majority owner and CEO of family owned FF Development, Ltd, was sitting in the boardroom of his company waiting for the other board members to arrive. He enjoyed the few minutes of quiet time prior to these meeting, a chance to enjoy a hot cup of tea and a biscuit or two while reading the agenda. Since his secretary knew he was not to be disturbed during this period, he was surprised when she stuck her head in the door and gave a gentle cough to get his attention.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Sorry to disturb you sir, but there is an _owl_ sitting on your windowsill, pecking as if he wants to be let in. He seems to have some sort of paper tied to his leg."

"An owl, you say…. Dolly, let it in and go in my upper right drawer, there is a bag labeled 'Owl Treats'. Give him one and offer him a cup of water. Tell the owl that I will be in there in a moment to take the message. And Dolly, not a word about this to anyone, understand?"

"Y-yes, sir. Right away." Dolly recognized that tone. If she valued her job, she would not even tell her husband about this strange happening. She scurried back to Jasper's office. Crossing to the window, she opened it to allow the large eagle owl into the office. The bird perched on Jasper's chair and regally held out its leg.

"Mr. Finch-Fletchley will be in momentarily to take your message." Dolly felt somewhat foolish talking to the beast, but it seemed to understand and pulled its leg back in. She reached in the desk drawer, found the owl treats and offered the bird one. It gave a delighted hoot and gently took the treat from her. She then got a teacup and, after filling it with water, placed it in front of the bird. He bobbed his head and began to drink. Just then, her employer entered.

"Ah Dolly, I see that you have seen to our guest." The owl held out his leg and Jasper took the message from it. "It is from my son, he is attending an academy for gifted students, they have trained these birds somewhat like carrier pigeons." The owl gave an angry hoot, insulted to be compared to such a lowly bird. Jasper leaned over and whispered to it. "Play along, she doesn't know about you and it will be worth another treat." The owl turned to look at Jasper, then slowly bobbed its head. "I can take it from here," he said, dismissing her. The owl glared at him expectantly. "Alright, here you go" Jasper passed the bird another owl treat, which the bird took. He bobbed his head to let Jasper know that the slight would not be forgotten.

Jasper took a penknife and slit the envelope open, took out the letter and began reading. He furrowed his brow, then a smile began to grow on his face. He quickly jotted down a note, then attached it to the owl's leg. "Have you rested enough to return?" The owl bobbed its head and flew out through the open window, glad to be quit of this insulting human. Crossing to the intercom, he hit the switch to his secretary. "Have records bring up everything on that Pitcairn Shopping Mall. It is that white elephant that we have been unable to unload. I want it on my desk by the time the board meeting is finished." Yes, this could turn out to be a profitable day after all.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Diagon Alley_

_London_

Owls began arriving at each shop in the Alley bearing the edict from the Wizengamot. Once the shopkeepers read the notices, there was a spate of floo calls between businesses. One at a time, the stores began to close, the shopkeepers placing signs on the windows reading, "Closed for Remodeling." After the last patron had left, Tom at the Leaky Cauldron called the Weasley twins and together, they sealed shut the portal to the Alley from the pub. Then they locked and sealed the front of the pub and placed various wheezes set to make anyone who dared breech the doors eternally sorry. As a last measure, Tom placed a sign reading 'Gone Fishing' on the front door, then left to go home for a while.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_The Great Hall_

_Two days later_

Harry, having just finished a grueling DADA session with Professor Tashimoto, had just sat down to what he thought would be a peaceful lunch, when Justin Finch-Fletchley sat down in the seat next to him. He wasted no time getting to the point.

"Harry, you know that my family members are all muggle businessmen, don't you?" At Harry's nod, he continued. "The whole situation with the shopkeepers escalated a lot faster than we thought it would. Every magical shop in Britain, save Olivander's, is closed, on strike, over that last bit of repression from the Wizengamot. Now we have made it clear to everyone that you are one of the good guys, but many of the same people who voted to keep the shopkeepers under their thumbs were the same people who own the shops and rent them for outrageous prices."

"What do you think I can do about it? Even with Lady Ravenclaw, Lord Gryffindor, and my coalition, we were shot down in flames. I sometimes wonder if it is worth fighting Voldemort when so many people think just like him. Don't get me wrong, I support your uprising, I hope that every reform I introduced goes through. I am just at a loss as to what I should do next."

"That's what I wanted to speak with you about." Justin placed a large folder on the table. "I was wondering if you could get me in to see some smart goblins about a business proposition…."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Gringotts Bank_

_Flickaxe's Office_

"Flickaxe, I am glad that you could see me on such a short notice. I would like to introduce you to Mr. Justin Finch-Fletchley."

Justin gave a bow. "Account Manager Flickaxe, it is a pleasure to meet you. May your vaults overflow with gold and may your enemies end up as appetizers." Justin stretched out his hand and the two shook.

"Lord Hufflepuff, I see that your friend has very good manners." Turning to Justin, he looked him over. "Justin Finch-Fletchley, heir to the muggle FF Development Ltd?"

"Why yes, I am surprised that you have heard of us."

Flickaxe grinned. "Heard of you? Lad, the minor stake that Gringotts has in FF Development is one of our best paying enterprises. And the way that your father conducts business is worthy of Goblinkind. Are you sure that you don't have some goblin in your background?"

"I don't believe so, although we have always wondered a bit about my Aunt Bernice." Flickaxe roared with laughter.

"I think that I could get to like you. Now, what can I do for my account holder and his friend?"

"You know about the shopkeeper's rebellion, I assume?"

Flickaxe's face darkened. "I certainly do. It has been very bad for business. We have had to open the direct floo up into the bank since Diagon Alley's access point has been sealed. The Board is planning to explore what can be done about it, although threatening shopkeepers to force them back to work is probably not in our best interest. That is what the Ministry is trying to get us to do."

Justin smiled. "How would you like it if the stalemate could be broken and the Goblin nation could put the screws to the Wizarding government at the same time?"

"Okay, you have my undivided attention."

Justin pulled out the folder he had shown Harry. Harry poured a cup of tea, this was going to take a while. Justin showed Flickaxe the photos and specifications for the shopping mall, then went over his financing plans that would enable the shopkeepers to purchase their own shops while paying a small 'Association Fee' to the goblins who would own the complex itself. In return, the goblins would maintain the complex, provide security, and maintain a branch office of Gringotts for banking convenience. As he spoke, Flickaxe became more enthused. This could earn him a spot on the Board if it was successful! Flickaxe turned to Harry.

"What are your feelings on this, Lord Hufflepuff?"

"If the Goblins don't go for it, I will. With Old Line Protections, I can keep the Ministry out of it since I would own the complex. I would also make a fortune on selling the stores to the shopkeepers. I would certainly give Gringotts a good price so they could open a branch in the new hub of wizarding commerce. I brought Justin here as a sign of my respect to the Goblin nation. You have been excellent stewards of my money, I believe that you should be offered first right of refusal. Flickaxe, these people are in the same position as Goblinkind has been in for centuries. There is a wizarding government doing its best to hold them in servitude. They are looked down on and mistreated, but, just like the Goblins, they hold the wizarding economy in their hands. I believe that you have common interests."

"So, if the Board goes for this, what do you get out of it?"

"Either a finder's fee, or I can invest as a partner. I can open "Potter Property Management", sell and finance the stores. The opportunity to charge small amounts of interest on the loans would be a good steady conservative cash flow to my vaults." Harry knew that if he was not getting something out of the deal, the Goblins on the board would be suspicious and look down on him as a foolish wizard.

"This sounds acceptable to me, I will call a board meeting and present it tomorrow. Wish me luck, gentlewizards. If all goes well, I will owl you tomorrow evening."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

It was a hard sell to the Board, but within a week, FF Development, Ltd had unloaded the vacant shopping mall at a fire sale price to the Goblin Nation, which made the property disappear from muggle maps and records. Shops in Diagon Alley which had borne 'Closed for Remodeling' signs were now vacant with signs that read 'Moved to new Location, See Gringotts for details. The Leaky Cauldron closed as a pub, the property sold to the Ministry as an access point only, while Tom opened 'The Cauldron II' in the new mall. Tom upgraded his new facility to include a four star wizarding restaurant and a nightclub with live music and dancing.

Because of the political situation, shops still refused service to most purebloods, in fact there were wards banning certain people from accessing the floo and apparition points. Purebloods who sympathized with the movement were allowed in and were served, but the majority of the Wizengamot members and their families were forced to disguise themselves as muggles in order to purchase the necessities of life in the muggle world. Many Hogsmeade stores reopened, grudgingly selling the bare necessities to purebloods at wildly inflated prices, but each store having a floo access point to their counterpart stores in the new Liberty Mall, where a full selection of goods at reasonable prices could be had. These stores, of course, were not accessible to wrong thinking purebloods, but the majority of the wizarding world was very happy with the new arrangement.

Since the Mall itself was a wholly owned enterprise of the Goblin Nation, the Ministry could not enforce their edicts on the premises, in fact, Ministry enforcement personnel were barred access. The wizarding world settled down into what promised to be a long economic war.

Harry received his finder's fee and a permanent portkey into the new mall.

Life was good.


	4. Merlin's Oath, Part I

IMPORTANT A/N: Due to the fact that my two stories have become so intertwined, this chapter will be posted on both "He Did it

_**IMPORTANT A/N: Due to the fact that my two stories have become so intertwined, this chapter will be posted on both "He Did it His Way" and "The Mudblood Revolution." This is the part of the wrap up for both stories, so not only will the people who are reading one story, but not the other be brought up to speed, but it will be an extremely long chapter. For those folks who have stayed with me, reviewed, and made suggestions, as well as those who have placed these stories in their favorites and put alerts on them, I hope that I have given you a couple of good reads. As far as "His Way", I ended up changing the ending drastically, hopefully for the better. It would have to be, the previous ending, after much revision, not only would not have worked for both stories, but in retrospect, was really lame. So now, onto the story!**_

**He Did it His Way**

**Chapter 27**

**The Mudblood Revolution**

**Chapter 4**

_**Merlin's Oath, Part I**_

_Ministry of Magic_

_Office of the Minister_

Amos Diggory gave a predatory smile as he affixed his seal of office to the documents before him. He then gathered them up and handed them to his assistant, one Percy Weasley.

"Weasley, I expect these to be copied and sent out to every person in Magical Britain by tomorrow morning, is that clear?"

Percy gave a sigh of defeat. He had attempted to talk the Minister out of this rash action, but had been curtly dismissed. "Yes sir, but I hope that you are prepared for the firestorm this will unleash."

"Never mind that, now Amelia," Diggory said to the other person in the office, "I want you to take a squad of Aurors and go to Hogwarts to arrest as many of the traitors on this list as possible. Once the leaders are in custody, this so-called _revolution_ will fall apart."

"Amos, this action is not only insane, it is illegal. If you expect me to carry out this bit of foolishness, you are mistaken. You have become as out of control as Fudge ever was and I expect that you will come to the same end."

"That's too bad; since you will not follow orders, then I will get someone else to. As of this moment, you are sacked and your pension is withdrawn. You have one hour to leave the building, after that, I will add your name to the arrest warrant."

"Very well, but I will be watching when you are run out of office just like Fudge." Amelia stormed from the office to collect her belongings. Percy left at the same time, then took her aside once they were out of listening range.

"Madam Bones, I believe that I can delay this a bit, but you and I need to get to Hogwarts before Amos can get together his squad to make these arrests. If you grab your personal items out of your office, we can leave from there."

"What do you expect that going to Hogwarts will accomplish?"

"Well for one, the people in the warrant should have a heads up, I believe that Minerva would probably shut down the Floo access, making Amos take extra time bringing his people in from Hogsmeade. The other thing is that I don't believe that Harry Potter will allow this to stand, there are measures he can take to protect the people there. I will need to run and get my dad so he can come with us."

"Then by all means, do so. It looks like we have just joined the revolution, whether or not we wanted. Godspeed, I will meet you in my office in fifteen minutes."

Percy ran off as if his life depended on it, it actually did. Within the next hour or so, he would be losing his job and proclaimed a traitor to the magical world, at least if this didn't work out. Arriving at his father's office, he barged through the door.

"Percy, this is a surprise," Arthur began.

"Dad, no time for pleasantries, this is an emergency, we need to get to Hogwarts."

Arthur paled. "Has something happened to Ginny or Ron?"

"No, I'll explain when we get there. Let's go!" Arthur decided to trust Percy on this, jumped up from his desk, and followed his son to the DMLE office, meeting Amelia with two minutes to spare from the fifteen allotted. Amelia took some Floo powder, threw it in the fireplace, and called out, "Hogwarts Head Office!" and disappeared in the flames. Percy and Arthur followed suit.

When they had stepped out into McGonagall's office, Percy took the Headmistress aside and gave her a quick rundown on the situation. Shocked, Minerva blocked the Floo access for all but voice communications, then using the _Sonorus_ charm, called for all students to gather in the Great Hall. She then sent an unfamiliar charm toward the fireplace.

"What was that, Minerva?" asked Arthur.

"Just an idea I got from one of our muggleborn students." At Arthur's quizzical look, she continued. "You know about that muggle invention they use to speak with one another over long distances?"

"You mean the felleytone?"

"Yes, that's it. They have another device they hook to it called an 'answer machine', or something like that. Anyway, when the muggle is not at home, this machine tells whoever is calling that the person is not home, and allows the caller to leave a message. I had Professor Vector help me write the charm, unfortunately it does not allow any message other than my original. Come along Arthur, we need to get to the Great Hall"

As they were leaving the office, the fireplace flared and the Minister's head became visible. "Minerva, take the block off, I need to come through!"

"_You have reached the fireplace of Headmistress Minerva McGonagall at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm not at my desk right now or otherwise unavailable. If this is important, please send an owl post or try back later. I am sorry to have missed you, goodbye."_ With that, the fireplace broke the connection. Arthur laughed, having seen the look on Amos' face.

"I have _got_ to get that charm from you."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Great Hall_

About an hour after Percy, Arthur, and Amelia came into Hogwarts, the doors to the Great Hall banged open and Amos Diggory, accompanied by a squad of Aurors came marching in. They found their way blocked by Harry, Arthur, and Minerva. Behind them, wands drawn, stood the rest of the members of the Noble's Dorm and Ron Weasley.

"What may I help you with today, Minister?" asked Minerva.

"You can get out of my way and point out the students listed on this arrest warrant so that we can take them in for questioning."

"I don't believe so, Amos. You have no authority within the walls of Hogwarts. Lord Gryffindor, Lord Hufflepuff, and myself hold absolute authority. Since we are three of the four Founder's Heirs, the Board of Governors has been dissolved and Hogwarts is exempt from your little power plays."

"You will either turn them over or be arrested yourselves!" Amos was irate; how _dare_ these people defy him, the Minister! What he didn't notice was that every student in the Great Hall, over three hundred of them, from firsties through seventh year, also had their wands out. He also did not realize that the exaggerated yawn Harry made was a signal.

"_**Stupify!"**_ The spell was cast by every student with the ability, all aimed at the Aurors. The DMLE people went down like sacks of potatoes, then Harry called out, "_**Accio Auror's wands!"**_ The summoned wands flew to his hand and he passed them back to Draco, who was standing behind him. Scowling, Harry strode up to Diggory and poked him in the chest with his index finger, driving him back.

"Amos, as Lord Hufflepuff-Potter-Black, every one of these people are under my personal protection and I am declaring full Line Protection under all three houses for each and every one of them. That means if they are molested in any way, you will personally answer to me. You have crossed a line that should have been left alone. I tell you now, either tear up that arrest warrant or we will clear an area of the Great Hall and you and I will duel. It will be a duel of honor and it will be to the death."

As Amos sputtered, Flickaxe came out from behind a curtain off to the side. "Minister," he growled, "Lord Hufflepuff and several of the people named in your warrant, namely Miss Hermione Granger and Justin Finch-Fletchley have been named as 'Friends of the Goblin Nation'. You are already on shaky ground attempting to collect taxes in Goblin owned territory, namely Liberty Mall; take any action against any of these people and the Gringotts Board has authorized me to declare war on the British Ministry of Magic. Do you want to be known as the Minister who caused the first Goblin Rebellion in over three hundred years? Think hard on your answer Minister."

"So Amos, do we have an understanding?" asked Harry.

"Yes but," Amos pointed at Arthur and Percy, "You two are sacked as of right now. That _is_ in my purview. You can also kiss your pensions goodbye."

Arthur laughed. "Still trying to get your turn in the pissing contest? I'm not really worried about it; your replacement will more than likely reinstate us with full benefits. That would, of course include Amelia. In the meantime, I have the Gryffindor vault to fall back on and Amelia has the Bones estate. It's pretty damned stupid to try to get even with wealthy people by taking away their civil service jobs. I think I am due for a vacation anyway."

"What do you mean 'my replacement'?"

"Simple Amos," said Amelia, "Once the Wizengamot finds out that you brought us to the brink of war with the goblins, a war that would have sealed the Gringotts vaults to every wizard in Britain, I expect your time left in office will be counted in minutes, not years. Now if Minerva and company will enervate your Aurors, you can be on your way back to begin packing up your office while Lord Hufflepuff calls for a session of the Wizengamot."

"Now let's not be hasty, I apologize," Amos gulped, "I admit that I made a huge mistake. Can we just start over, all three of you can be reinstated."

"I don't know," Harry grinned evilly. "I can get all of that anyway by calling the Wizengamot into session. Hey Percy, want to be appointed as the new Minister?"

"I'm not sure Harry, I mean the perks are pretty good but lately it seems to be more of a temporary job. Bill could probably do a better job as long as I was his Undersecretary. He gets along well with the Goblins and he could open all sorts of jobs up for other Weasleys. If he doesn't want it, Fred and George could take turns running the Ministry and their shop, one week at a time for each of them. They would have every department head either sporting red hair or growing feathers in no time."

Harry lost any bit of humour in his visage. He strode up to Amos and poked him in the chest with his finger. "Amos, I want to suggest to you that you pretend you have a Time-Turner. That device is taking you back to your morning cup of tea; all the neat ideas you had this morning suddenly look like really bad ideas. You're going to scrap those ideas and go into the office, then you will actually ask for advice from people you trust, such as the head of the DMLE, Madam Bones. You could also get some good ideas from trusted advisors like the Weasleys. Are you getting an idea of where I am going with this?"

Amos nodded so fast that he almost resembled Dobby. "Yes Lord Hufflepuff. May I ask just one question of these people? Why are you trying to topple our society? Is it not bad enough that You-Know-Who and his ilk are trying to destroy us from one direction, why must you knock away at the remaining pins of Britain?"

Harry started to say something but was stopped by Justin Finch-Fletchley. "Harry, I believe I am a bit closer to this situation, in fact my name was on one of those arrest warrants. Minister, as a wealthy pureblood in this society, you have never known the deprivation of freedom. Yes, the country was at war, but until the death of your son, not even that touched you very deeply."

"During the hols, I traveled with my father to a convention in the United States, in Chicago. This was all in the muggle world, so I won't bore you with details. Suffice to say, while I was in a restaurant, I picked up a small book of essays to read while I ate. A Yank named Hamilton Wrye wrote a short essay in that book that really touched me and got me thinking." Justin pulled a well worn booklet from his robe pocket. It was entitled _**"Essays on Freedom"**_ He flipped it open to the middle and began to read:

"_**A Dog Named Liberty" **_

"_So many times I have heard or read stories about other people's struggle for freedom, but brushed it off with the old Southern expression of "I ain't got a dog in that fight". The older I get, however, the more I realize the error of that line of thought. Let me tell you about this dog._

_She is a battle scarred mongrel bitch as old as mankind, spoken of with awe by people who have never known her. Her name is Liberty._

_She climbs into the pit every time some wretched soul lashes inner tubes together, braving dehydration, starvation, and predators to reach the land where Liberty lives. Countless times she has used her razor sharp teeth and claws against her twin opponents, Oppression and Tyranny. She does not always win, many times because her guardians have muzzled her, but she always brings her heart and soul to the fight. She has a brave spirit and fierce loyalty. _

_What is her background? Part of her ancestry is Jewish, finding a home with Moses as he led millions of Hebrews out of 400 years of Egyptian slavery. She has a little Greek in her, residing for a time with Spartacus, when he tried to throw off the yoke of Roman servitude. She rode the Mayflower with the Pilgrims to the new world. She won a victory over a century later, but it was not as decisive as it should have been, since many of her charges remained in oppression and slavery. It would take almost another century and thousands of gallons of spilt blood to win, at least on paper that unqualified victory, and another century before her name was no longer a goal, but rather a fact for all of her guardians._

_She is revered by the __Cubano__ who looks northward to her home, the __Mexicano__ crushed by the weight of poverty and oppression, the Haitian fleeing the __ton-ton macout__ and a "friendly" dictator. She is sought by Chinese women fleeing forced abortion, the Sudanese Christian held in slavery by Sudanese Muslims, and Bosnian Muslims fearing rape and murder by Serbian "Christians"_

_In every arena in which she has fought, she has left her offspring, some to flourish, but most drowned at birth or crippled in infancy._

_Although revered by oppressed peoples throughout the world, we, her guardians, those who have benefited most from her struggles, have allowed her to become infested by parasites, we kick her when she inconveniences us and sadly, attempt to have her put to sleep, considering her old and useless._

_If we continue abusing her, she will not die, but she may leave us to find a more worthy guardian. _

_Her name is Liberty."_

Justin closed the booklet and calmly looked Amos Diggory in the eye. "Minister, Voldemort wants to destroy the country, killing all whom he does not enslave. The difference between now and what will happen should he win is that the purebloods will be enslaved, the lesser bloods will either flee or die. Harry will more than likely have to fight Voldemort, possibly all of us will be called to service to protect what we hold dear. What I and the other mudblooders are doing is attempting _to give us a reason to fight!_ We want a just society built not on the privilege caused by an accident of birth, but on our abilities and the content of our character. We _will_ create that just society, and we will raise an army of hope! That army will follow Harry Potter and other leaders of justice in kicking that abomination called Voldemort back into the grave he escaped in 1981. This time we will make sure he stays dead!"

"Mr. Diggory, I knew and looked up to Cedric for almost four years. Cedric was a brave and noble credit to Hufflepuff house. He never put on airs or tried to lord it over anyone because he was a wealthy pureblood heir, and I believe that if you look deep in your heart and _remember_ your son, you would see that he would most likely agree with us. We bear you no ill-will Minister, but we are fighting for our freedoms and our futures in the wizarding world and we will win!"

"Yes Mr. Finch-Fletchley, I do believe you will win, but at what cost? We are not American muggles, we have time honored traditions that make us what we are."

"Time honored traditions such as buying influence and favor through bribery? Or such traditions as forcing all non-purebloods into menial work and being the major support to a government where we have no representation? All while the favored few have their parties and Yule Balls paid for by the sweat of the people whom they despise and keep downtrodden! British wizarding society is rotten to the core Minister, but a new wind is blowing. That dog named Liberty has gotten off the boat and is making a guest appearance in Magical Britain. Let's see what we can do with her."

Justin's words, although spoken to the Minister, carried throughout the Great Hall. Amos looked stricken as the other students began to cheer and chant "Liberty, Liberty, Liberty!" Minerva nudged Pomona Sprout and whispered: "If we still had the old House system, I would be awarding Hufflepuff enough points that they could have the House Cup without having to answer any test questions the rest of the school year."

Sprout smiled. "I'm proud of him also, but please don't award all of those points to his dorm, I lost him in the reorganization. He's in Filius' dorm now."

As the Minister and his retinue, defeated, turned to leave, Hermione rushed in a side door, grabbed Harry's sleeve and whispered: "We need to have a meeting right now; I have Severus and Remus on their way in. If possible, I would also like to have Justin join us, part of this will be of interest to him."

Harry nodded. "Get everyone together and we well meet in Myrtle's bathroom. Will a half hour be sufficient?" At Hermione's assent, he went over to speak with Arthur and Minerva.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Chamber of Secrets_

"Alright Hermione, you called the meeting, what do you have to report?" The War Room was filled to overflowing, the Nobles, former Order members, and newly invited members of the Mudblood Corps crowded around the oversized conference table.

"The first thing is the best, although it doesn't affect the Mudblooders. Severus, if you could come up here?" The snarky Potions Master got up from his seat and stood next to her. There was a gasp from those in the know when she reached over and pulled up the man's left sleeve. It was unmarred, having no sign of ever bearing the Dark Mark. "It was not an easy thing to do, breaking the different components down to break the soul bond and life bond inside the body, but once those threads from the Mark to the aorta and pre-frontal cortex were sealed off and the bleeding staunched, a potion was used to attack the elements of the Protean Charm that makes up the Mark. It literally dissolved and was passed out of the body with the rest of the waste."

"How hard was the procedure; could be taught in order to set up Mark removal stations?" asked Harry.

"It was a fairly complicated procedure, but I believe that it could be done with a team of two Healers and two Charms experts. The potion would have to be on hand so that it could be taken as soon as the tendrils are removed and cauterized. The Healers would have to be very competent in order to correct the damage to the circulatory system by the removal. We ended up using a heart specialist from St. Mungo's. We had her take a vow of silence until such time as we could get everything approved."

"Severus, how do you feel? Was the procedure very hard on you?" Minerva asked.

"Even though I was not able to have any anesthetic because of the volatility of the potion, it was still less painful than the placement of the Mark." Snape smirked, "As for how I feel now, I feel as if I have been reborn. These months that the Dark Lord has been making his displeasure with me known through the Mark have been somewhat tedious."

"Tedious! If it is anything like the pain he sent me through my scar, I would call that a vast understatement." Harry rubbed his forehead. "All right, so we put some pressure on Amos and the Wizengamot to announce an amnesty period for all Death Eaters who want to be freed of Voldemort, then set up some system where we can verify their intentions before sending them to the Healer teams. I will pay all costs associated with the removals, it is more likely to pass that way. Now, what's next on the agenda?"

"I do have one other item, but I would like to wait on that until every one else is finished," said Hermione.

"Okay Severus, You will want to be brewing as much of the potion as possible in a short amount of time. Remus, what do you have?"

"The werewolves have pretty much abandoned Riddle after Greyback was killed. They had a plan to give them all Wolfsbane potion so that they could be more effective during a full moon attack. The majority of the packs want the potion, but not to use as a weapon. Moody and I took a team and raided Riddle's potion ingredient cache, by the way, thank you Severus for helping us find it… We now have a corner on the Wolfsbane market. We made an agreement with the three major packs to supply them with the potion in return for an Unbreakable vow to stay out of the war at the least. The magical werewolves took the vow and also vowed to keep the muggle werewolves under control. I could not get them to actually support us, they see us as too close to the Ministry that oppresses them."

"Neutrality is still better than open hostility. Is there any word on other magical creatures?"

"Other than the Goblins, pretty much nothing. The Centaurs, Mer-people and Vampires have said that they will defend their own turfs should they be attacked by either side, but they see this as a war between wizards and don't really want to be involved. The Giants decided to stay out of Britain when Moody showed them the power of his 'superwand'. Never think that giants are stupid, they know what extinction means."

"What in Merlin's name is a superwand'?" Harry asked, curiously.

Moody stood up;. "The muggle PM gave us access to some military weapons and had some of their soldiers train us in the operation. What I call a superwand is also known as an RPG-7. It makes a big bang with lots of noise and fire, impressed the heck out of the Gurg. He promised to sit this one out. The muggles have some other weapons that scare the hell out of me, I hope we never have to use them or give the muggles cause to use them on us." The non muggleborn looked shaken, anything that scared Mad-Eye Moody was something they never wanted to see.

"Do we have any idea where Voldemort is now?" Harry asked.

"He was last reported in France, but heading back this way," Amelia reported. "The French won't do anything, they are holding their breath hoping that he doesn't cause too many problems there. My understanding is that he has picked up some new supporters from the French branch of the Malfoys. Would you know anything about that, Lord Malfoy?"

Draco stood. "Unfortunately I do; I just received an owl message from Francois Malfoi this morning, he is the patriarch there. He wanted to let me know that several family members have joined the Dark Lord's forces. He wanted me to receive them as family, also gave me a lot of grief for not following in Lucius' footsteps. I sent word to Gringotts to make sure that they were denied any access to family funds and contracted them to put the Malfoy properties under the Fidelus charm. Mother is at the main manor, however I have asked Griphook to be my secret keeper for the manor. I would rather pay the price to the Goblins than have one more knut go to the Dark Lord."

"Good on you, mate. With Riddle on the move back here, I suggest that everyone who's family was involved with Voldemort to do the same thing. All of you may have broken away, but he still knows where you live. Flickaxe, can you take the orders back to Gringotts to have anyone here who wants their properties protected to put up wards to keep him out?" Flickaxe nodded in agreement.

"I believe that we can set up a discount rate for anyone here," he said. "Letting the new Noble's wealth fall into his hands would be very bad for business. Can I have a show of hands for the Fidelus?" All of the new Nobles raised their hands, "Excellent, I will contact your account managers and have them set up as your secret keepers until such time as you might want to choose someone else. Gringotts will actively support your faction, Lord Hufflepuff. Not the Ministry, they have shown they cannot be trusted, but you can."

"Thank you Flickaxe, you don't know how much that means to me. Is there anything else?" Looking around, he saw no others needing to speak. "All right Hermione, what is the other thing you had for us?"

"I was doing some researching in some of the books left behind by the late Headmaster, history books to be exact. I found something that was somewhat shocking. Has anyone here ever heard of Merlin's Oath?"

Seeing their puzzled faces, she continued. "I found a reference to it in one of the books in the restricted section of the library. It made me curious, so I asked Professor Binns about it. He told me that it was nothing more than a legend, much like the 'supposed' Chamber of Secrets." Hermione looked at Harry with a wry smile. "Most of us know how much of a 'legend' _that_ turned out to be! To make a long story short, I found five different books centered around the Oath, all written about attempts to circumvent the Oath. I found these in Dumbledore's private collection he unwittingly left here, and in the Black family library. It seems that, although there have been many attempts to circumvent the Oath, no attempt has ever succeeded."

"Just what _is_ this Oath, that it is so important?" asked Justin, impatiently.

"Oops," Hermione blushed, "I sometimes forget the most important parts, not realizing that the people to whom I am speaking haven't been there to read the books. Anyway, as the story goes, Merlin and Arthur Pendragon were not just allies, they were close friends. Arthur knew that Merlin was loyal, but he also knew that he was mortal. There were not that many magic users in Britain at the time, Merlin and LeFey being the most powerful, but it was conceivable that others born of power might either join with a rival or overthrow the throne to claim it for themselves. He brought his concerns to Merlin who told Arthur he would see what he could do. This was close to the end of the recorded history of Merlin being in the Camelot court. What Merlin came up with was an oath wrapped in several charms and curses. The Oath pledged fealty to the legitimate monarch of Britain, but became binding on any magical person in Britain, whether born here or not. The way that it became binding was for any magical person to use the name 'Merlin', be it in conversation, a curse or blessing, or even in a history lesson. How many times have any of us used his name in a curse or blessing?" Seeing the nods of understanding, she smiled. "That's right, everyone here. Without even knowing it, we have bound ourselves to the Oath."

"In 988 CE, under King Ethelred II, also known as Aethelred the Unready, who in addition to being King of England, was also a minor wizard known for his erratic spellwork and lousy potion brewing, Magical Britain was allowed a large measure of self rule as well as separation from the muggle world. This was also the year that the Statute of Secrecy was enacted to protect the magical world from the mundane society. I looked up the document at the Ministry archives; it was signed and sealed by none other than Ethelred II, and had as his authority 'The Oath of Merlin'! The self-rule treaty, which was also there at the Ministry, stated that the Crown had the right to oversee any government the wizards set up as well as dissolve any governmental body that was established. A portion of all taxes goes to the Royal Treasury as a reminder that Wizarding Britain is still subject to the Crown. We are not taught this in History classes because of the belief in the natural superiority of magical people over the mundane. The people who are actually in the know do not want it to be known to the general population; purebloods are especially touchy about it. That is why purebloods such as the Dumbledores and Blacks were so eager to find a way to circumvent the Oath; they hated the fact that any muggle could hold authority and the power of magic over them."

"What are the penalties for breaking the Oath?" asked Harry.

"It is actually very hard to break it, since there is a strong compulsion charm built into it. Minor infractions, such as attempting to circumvent it, would cause descendants to either have weakened magic or begin producing more non magical children. Severe violations could cause a total loss of magic, in effect making the violator into a muggle. In the case of minor violators, the family could seek a pardon from the reigning Monarch, in serious cases, there is no pardon; the oath-breaker is cast from our world and becomes property of the Monarch."

"Hmm," mused Minerva, "This could explain why so many pureblood families have died out or become weak. I just wonder if it would affect Harry's offspring for the Black family."

"I honestly do not know," said Hermione. "Just to be safe though, Harry should ask the Queen for a pardon for any transgressions by the Black family. Maybe it could be suggested as sort of a wedding gift."

"In that case," said Harry. "I would like you to be my representative and have you meet the Queen's protocol people in advance of the wedding. You can also make any other requests you think necessary." Harry gave her a wink and gestured toward Justin.

"Put in a good word for us as well," said Flickaxe. "It would be nice for all magical creatures to have the same rights. Should she agree, the Goblin nation would owe a debt of honor to both the Queen and you; this is not something to be taken lightly."

"With that, let us adjourn this meeting for now," said Harry. "If anything new comes up, you will all be notified. Now, however, my brides have informed me that I am to play the part of a dress-up mannequin so they can color coordinate me."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Calais, France_

The Dark Lord Voldemort, having swelled his ranks with French purebloods eager to be the new nobility in Britain, entered a muggle travel agent's office. It was humiliating to him to have to disguise himself as a muggle in order to sneak back into Britain with his troops in such a way that his enemies would not be alerted to his presence. With him were Delores Umbridge and a muggle he had put under the Imperius curse in order to book passage on a tour bus going through the Chunnel. At least one of the French Malfoi heirs had the good sense to kidnap a wealthy muggle to charter the bus.

Thirty minutes and several thousands francs later, an odd assortment of 'tourists were nervously boarding the charter bus in order to launch the strangest invasion of British soil in the history of that land.

Voldemort chuckled to himself. They would never know what hit them!


	5. Merlin's Oath, Part II

Disclaimer: I don't own a darn thing, including Harry Potter & Company

_Disclaimer: I don't own a darn thing, including Harry Potter & Company. Nothing is in my name, so it drives the tax man nuts when he tries to collect money and I tell him that he can just go pound sand._

_A/N: I know I said I was not going to update these until I got out of the hospital and recovered, but I wanted to go just a bit farther on these two stories. Enjoy!_

**He Did it His Way**

**Chapter 28**

**The Mudblood Revolution**

**Chapter 5**

**Merlin's Oath**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_**Ministry Announces Amnesty for Death Eaters!**_

_**Diggory Claims Ability to Remove Dark Mark!**_

_Exclusive to The Daily Prophet_

_Staff Writer Ulysses Ben Scroud_

_In a shocking reversal of policy, the Ministry of Magic has announced that marked followers of Lord Whatshisname who want to leave his ranks will be given the opportunity to rejoin decent wizarding society and escape Azkaban prison. All Death Eaters who have repented of their activities in this war can surrender themselves to the Ministry and have their Mark of Loyalty (the Dark Mark) removed. They would not be required to fight for the Light, they would just be required to take a binding oath of neutrality. Any crimes they had been involved in up to that point would be pardoned._

_This reporter asked Minister Diggory how he could free repentant Death Eaters from Lord Thingy's service. He had this to say; "It has been known for quite some time that the Mark Lord Whosis brands his followers with has been irremovable and, in the event of their master's death, fatal. He uses it to maintain their complete obedience as well as an instrument of torture. A crack team of researchers has discovered a way to break the hold of the Dark Mark and remove it without any permanent aftereffects. I have seen the proof; Potions Master Severus Snape, a courageous fighter for the Light in the last war, took the Mark at the behest of Albus Dumbledore in order to spy for the Light. The Dark Whatsits discovered his role and tortured him for a long time through the Mark. The research team used their findings to remove this instrument of torture from Mr. Snape.; he volunteered to be a test subject. Severus Snape is now free from the power that the False Lord once held over him. By the way, for his courage and tireless service for the Light, I am also announcing that Severus Snape is to be awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class, along with a monetary award of 10,000 galleons."_

_Minister Diggory also announced that several Mark removal stations would be set up throughout Britain and the surrounding countries of France, Belgium, and Spain. _

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Folkstone, UK_

_Calais Tour Company_

The service technician looked at the readings on his meter once again, shook his head, and called for his supervisor. "Guv'nr, I'm not sure what to make of this. I've gone through this bus at least five times and I can't figure out what's wrong. All the electronics on the bus went wonky half way through the Chunnel. We had to tow the bus in; everything is reading all right, but it acts as if every electronic circuit is completely fried."

"Where is the driver? He might be able to tell what happened."

"He continued on with the tour group on the new bus. Odd looking lot they were; I knew the French were strange, but this bunch took the cake."

At that moment, the supervisor's phone rang. He went over to answer it, listened for a few moments, then returned.

"You'll need to go out with the tow lorry; the driver from this bus just called, and from a pay telephone. He is saying that the new bus broke down the same way, and even his radio and cell phone quit working. His tour group, all but the man who booked the charter, just got off the bus and disappeared. He says the client acted like he just woke up and began demanding to know why he was on a bus in England, says he has no idea of what has happened the last six hours. Bloody fool, I'm sure he just wants to get out of paying the charter; doesn't realize that with all of the mechanical problems that the company would be refunding him anyway."

"What if I can't find out what is wrong with the other bus?"

The supervisor shrugged his shoulders. "Since it is the same driver on both busses and the same problem, we can chalk it up to driver error. He'll get sacked and we'll be covered.'

"Poor sap."

"Hey, that's life"

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Diagon Alley_

_Later that day_

Pierre Lafort, a recent French recruit to Voldemort's Death Eaters, sat down heavily in the booth at the Leaky Cauldron. He ordered a cup of tea when he could not get coffee, then opened the copy of the Daily Prophet his Master had instructed him to buy. The Dark Lord wanted to catch up on news in Britain before he made his next plans. Pierre was now regretting having joined the Dark Lord's service, the past few weeks, because of his natural curiosity and a clumsiness that Nymphadora Tonks would sympathize with; he asked too many questions and stumbled a few too many times, he had been a frequent target of Voldemort's and Umbridge's 'discipline'. After several bouts of the Cruciatus curse and Mark torture, he was beginning to wonder just what he had gotten himself into. Glancing at the front page of the Prophet, he stiffened in shock. He read the article, wondering if it could possibly be a ruse to draw out Death Eaters for prison and/or execution. After reading the article, he thought back to a scene he had stumbled upon the previous week.

Voldemort and Umbridge had been speaking to each other, not expecting to be overheard. Voldemort had been complaining to Umbridge that he was not able to sense Severus Snape through his mark anymore, therefore could not give him his proper punishment for being a spy. It was at that point that Pierre had tripped, bringing the pair's attention to him. After a brutal Legilimency probe and some good old fashioned Cruciatus curses for his nosiness, Pierre had been sent on his way with a warning to never eavesdrop on his Master again.

Gathering his courage, Pierre folded his paper and walked over to Tom's Floo connection. He put a sickle in the jar, took a pinch of powder and threw it in.

"Ministry of Magic!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Ministry of Magic_

_London_

The well dressed, haughty looking French wizard appeared in the fireplace, stepped out gracefully, then tripped and fell flat on his face. He was helped up by a pink haired young lady who, when she had assisted him, also tripped and fell to the floor, carrying the wizard down with her. The guard at the wand weighing station catcalled out.

"Hey Tonks, a relative of yours?"

Both wizard and witch scrambled up and dusted themselves off while shooting death glares at the guard. Pierre was the first to speak.

"Mademoiselle," he said, taking the newspaper and opening it to the article, "Can jou tell me where I would go to … how jou zay eet, take advantage of zees?"

"You have the Dark Mark?" she asked stiffly.

"Oui, much to my shame."

She smiled. "First let's get your visitor badge." She led him over to the reception counter and told the receptionist, "This is Mr…." She looked at him

"Lafort, Pierre Lafort."

"Yes, he will be a visitor to the DMLE," Tonks said.

The receptionist popped her gum, then waved her wand at a small box. A nametag popped out and she handed it to Pierre. The tag read: Lafort Pierre Lafort, Visitor DMLE. Tonks shook her head as they turned away. "Sometimes she takes things a bit too literally. Come on over to the wand weighing station."

The two walked over to the wand weighing station where Pierre handed his wand to the guard. He put it on a scale, and a small piece of parchment came out.

"Weeping Willow, 13 inches, with a Veela hair, been in use for 13 years?"

"Oui."

Tonks reached over and took the wand, stowing it in her robe pocket. "I'm sure you're a nice guy, but since you are the first to take advantage of this new policy, we have to make sure that you have not been sent here by You-Know-Who to cause havoc." She took his elbow and led him over to the lift, looking for all the world as if he were a friend out for a stroll, in reality controlling his movements as any good Auror should.

Arriving at the DMLE office, Tonks bade Pierre to have a seat while she retrieved Madam Bones. A few seconds later, the steely haired head of the DMLE came into the waiting room and smilingly shook hands with Lafort.

"If you will just come this way, we need to debrief you before you have your mark removed. The mark removal station was just set up in an office down the hall, but we have to summon the team of Healers from St. Mungos and the charms masters from the Department of Mysteries to perform the removal. Have a seat and I'll explain what is going to happen." Pierre sat and she continued.

"Now Mr. Lafort, in order to make sure that you have a complete pardon, we have to know of any crimes you may have committed while in service to You-Know-Who. In order to do this, I will be questioning you under Veritaserum with a witness present to take your statement. Any additional information you can give us about the Dark Lord's movements or plans will be very much appreciated. I will have Auror Tonks witness your statement."

"Zat beautiful young lady is one of your Aurors?" Pierre asked in shock.

Amelia smiled. "Don't be fooled by her looks and youth, she was trained by Mad-Eye Moody and can be as deadly as an enraged lion."

"Merci for zee warning, I vas planning to ask her for a date. She might be too dangerous for me zo."

"Probably not a good idea, she has a tame werewolf she is seeing right now."

"Oui, any woman who can tame a werewolf eez probably too dangerous for me. I am a lover, not a fighter."

"Considering your last playmates, I find that a bit hard to believe."

"Eez ze truth, zee Seigneur Foncé, eh, Dark Lord, made eet zound like eet vould be a, how jou zay eet, lark. Ve vould be zee new nobility of zees country."

"I assume that you found his actions and his words to be somewhat in conflict," Amelia said dryly.

"Oui."

At that point, Tonks came in with the sealed vial of Veritaserum. Madam Bones took the parchment for the statement, noted the batch number on it, then set the quill for auto-dictate. Tonks broke the seal on the vial and administered the mandatory three drops onto Pierre's tongue. Amelia began the questioning.

"What is your name?"

"Pierre Lafort."

"Are you a marked Death Eater?"

"Oui"

"Have you been sent here on orders from the Dark Lord or any of his underlings"

"Non"

"Are you, of your own free will, here to renounce your association with the Dark Lord and his plans to overthrow wizarding society?"

"Oui"

"Are you willing to assist us with information that could help us track the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, along with any plans you might know of?"

"Oui"

After a grueling twenty minute session, where Pierre gave up the present location of Voldemort (on a muggle farm where he had the owners under the Imperius), the story of how he was recruited, and other sundry information such as the names of other recruits as well as Voldemort's inner circle, Pierre was given the antidote and swore an oath to renounce Voldemort and return to France. He was then taken to the removal station where he underwent the painful procedure to remove the mark. Amelia then took his picture for propaganda purposes, had his pardon signed by the Minister, and gave him an authorization for a Ministry funded international portkey which would return him to France. All in all, they had not had much to pardon, he was basically a pretty nice guy who had been caught up in Voldemort's manipulations and had not even cast any Unforgivables.

As Tonks was leaving her boss' office, she remarked, "He was pretty cute, if I wasn't involved with Remus, I might give him a whirl."

"He thought you were a bit of a 'belle fille' yourself, but when I told him who trained you and that you had a tame werewolf, he decided you were much too dangerous for him."

Tonks' coworkers wondered at the smile she wore the rest of the day.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Buckingham Palace_

Hermione Granger was just finishing a session with Her Majesty's protocol team, planning for Harry's wedding, when suddenly the team stiffened and came to attention. Hermione glanced behind herself, gasped and quickly stood and bowed her head to her Sovereign.

"Please sit down. Might you be Miss Granger, Lord Hufflepuff's protocol representative?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Miss Granger, please follow me, We would speak with you about your world. Other than occasional reports with little information from the Prime Minister, I know little about this group of my subjects." The Queen led Hermione into an adjoining sitting room and ordered refreshments from a gentleman in a pinstriped suit who seemed to act as her batman. Once the tea and biscuits had been served, she waved her shadow away, leaving them in privacy.

"Tell me, Miss Granger, of your background. Your surname is not one I have associated with the wizarding world. Were you born to a mundane family?"

"Yes ma'am." The two spent a pleasurable hour and a half, quite a lot of time for a busy monarch, speaking of Hermione's background, her invitation to attend Hogwarts, and all of her adventures at the school. They also spent a bit of time talking about the state of the wizarding world in general, the bias against the muggleborn and half-bloods, and the fact that there was an education drain with other countries benefitting from the racial prejudice that was the norm in Britain. Although she hid it well, the Queen was seething over the mistreatment of so many of her subjects. She asked pointed questions about Merlin's Oath, then rang her shadow and gave him explicit instructions on researching the archives for anything dealing with the Oath. He gave her a strange look, but acquiesced.

"I really did not want him to become aware of your world at this time, however it was unavoidable. I rely on him so much sometimes. I suppose when his assignment is over, I will have to contact your Ministry through the PM and have that part of his memory altered, along with any of the archive staff. I really do not like to do things like that, but the secrecy must be maintained, I suppose. This is too large of a secret for even the Official Secrets Act.

"Ma'am, have you ever thought of putting muggleborn or squibs in charge of the archives dealing with the magical world?"

"No, but that seems to be a capital idea. Please write a proposal with any names you can think of for people who might fit that career."

"Yes ma'am." With an assignment given to her from the Queen herself, Hermione would be a driven woman until she could complete it to perfection. To be sure, one of the names she would put forward would be her own; she could almost feel her fingers on rare and ancient manuscripts.

With more small talk about Harry, Ron, and her adventures, the Queen seemed to be taking measurement of her guest, then suddenly spoke.

"Miss Granger, I really must hurry off to another appointment, however I would like to meet your friends and your parents. They should be proud to have raised such an intelligent and courageous daughter. I would like you, Lord Hufflepuff, young Mr. Weasley and your parents to come here to the palace next week, say Wednesday evening. I will have a driver pick all of you up at your parent's home."

"Yes ma'am, we will be there." After all, when the Queen gives an order like that, what is there to say but yes?

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_The Granger House_

_Oxford_

Dan Granger checked his tie for the forty seventh time while making sure his hair was in perfect order. He was a fervent monarchist, having pledged his service in the Regiment many years before. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever even dreamed of meeting Her Majesty, and the fact that his seventeen year old daughter had delivered the Queen's invitation made it seem that much more surreal. He turned from the mirror and observed the crowd of people in his living room. The invitations for each person had included who they could bring along as guests, and the group had quite an eclectic mix. Ron Weasley had his parents, Mrs. Weasley exchanging recipes in the kitchen while Arthur Weasley was bent down in fascination studying, of all things, the extension cord connecting his telly and VCR. Harry Potter was pointing out various differences in his normal home versus a wizarding home to his two future wives. TWO! Dan knew that there was no way he could ever tell his wife Jane that he needed another wife, no matter what the circumstances. Not only would any sane person not want more than one wife at a time, but even if he had two, Jane would make sure that the purpose for having two wives would remain unfulfilled. A sympathy pain in his groin made him wince. That Potter kid had no idea what he was in for, but Dan had to give him points for bravery. Or stupidity, whichever the case. The girls looked around the room at the various appliances and fixtures with interest. Hermione brought her boyfriend, Terry Boot, a boy she seemed to be very interested in. He smiled, as much as she had written about Harry and Ron those first few years, he was glad that she had found someone who could give her the intellectual stimulation she so needed. It was a sure thing that Ron would not have been able to do it, and he didn't want his little girl to be part of some harem.

Dan wondered what the drivers of the cars would think of the odd dress of the magicals in the party. All of the wizards and witches, with the exception of Hermione, wore dress robes with embroidered crests on the breasts. The Weasleys had the Gryffindor family crest, Arthur with a gold chevron denoting Head of House, Ron with silver showing that he was Heir. Daphne had the Greengrass crest with gold, along with the Black crest and a pip showing that she was betrothed to the Head. Jennifer had the Dumbledore and Potter crests, while Harry had the Hufflepuff, Potter, and Black crests, all with gold chevrons. Terry Boot, another muggleborn, had a small patch showing that he was affiliated with Hogwarts Ravenclaw house, as well as the Hogwarts crest. A knock on the door signaled the arrival of the cars and an end to Dan's musing.

Dan's question about the driver's reaction was answered when he opened the door for the driver. He did not bat an eye at the odd dress of his passengers. He led the group to the curb where three stretch limousines awaited. The group split into family groups, the Grangers and Terry in the first car, Weasleys in the second, and Harry and his young ladies in the third. Throughout the ride, the question in his mind was 'why?'. It broke every 'rule' in Dan's thinking about not only the Queen, but also the magical world. He never thought that the Queen would even have contact with magicals.

Sooner than he thought possible, the cars slid through the gates of Buckingham Palace and pulled up to the entrance. They were quickly ushered into a cozy room with rows of chairs facing front. On the floor in front was a small red pillow. Once the group was seated, a page announced Her Majesty, causing the group to rise for her entrance. She strode in, motioned everyone to take their seats, then began to speak.

"For many years, two societies, the magical and mundane in Britain have, by necessity, lived apart with little to no contact. The reasons for this separation are many, with grievous cause. Magicals were targeted because of ignorance and malice, mundanes were fearful of the powers of their magical neighbors. The upshot of this has been two groups, dependant upon each other without knowledge or recognition, and values which, for the most part, are very different. This has caused, in many cases, friction between our worlds, with both sides suffering."

"Although secrecy must continue to be maintained, there are heroes and deeds which must be acknowledged in both worlds. Even though the magical people of Britain live, for the most part, separate from their mundane neighbors, all are still subjects of the Crown, with all rights and responsibilities associated with that status. Tonight we shall address an issue of importance to both our societies."

"Since 1970, there is one who claims Lordship over people in the magical world, a lordship neither earned nor legally granted. This false lord is a product of both our worlds, and a shame to both. He was born Tom Riddle, the product of an insane magical and a neglectful mundane. Raised in an orphanage, neglected and abused, he entered the magical world and was trained, as are most magicals, at the respected school of Hogwarts. He did not use this training responsibly, as the vast majority of magicals do, but rather to obtain power and subjugate the magical world, and to punish and control the mundane world."

"Take note of my words! Tom Riddle is not a lord, he is a terrorist! Good men and women, as well as children of both worlds have felt his evil. He made the magical world so fearful of him that they are afraid to say even his made up name. That evil was abruptly halted in 1981 by prophesy and the actions of a loving mother, a woman born in the mundane world but adopted by the magical. Her love and sacrifice stayed the hand of Tom Riddle for thirteen years, and saved the life of her child, as well as children across Great Britain. Harry Potter, Lord Hufflepuff, please come forward."

Harry, stunned, went forward and bowed to the Queen. "Mr. Potter, in recognition of your mother, Lily Rose Evans Potter, and her service to the Crown and the magical world, this day, April 2, 1996, I, Elizabeth II, reigning monarch of Great Britain, hereby posthumously induct Lily Rose Evans Potter into the Order of the British Empire and confer upon her the rank of Dame Commander. Please accept, on her behalf, this medal and our sincere appreciation for DBE Lily Potter and our condolences on your loss of your mother and her nurturing."

Harry, caught off guard, and emotions showing nakedly on his face, choked out, "Thank you, Your Highness. I am proud to accept in the name of my mother." He bowed and returned to his seat while the others in the group clapped, many while daubing the tears from their eyes.

The Queen continued: "While Dame Potter's sacrifice brought peace to the land for the next ten years, her son for whom she gave her life was shunted aside into the neglect and abuse of uncaring relatives until the day he received his Hogwarts letter. During his trip to school for the first time, he met two other exceptional children, one born in the mundane world, one from an old pureblood family. They were sorted into the same house, that of Godric Gryffindor, a Lord by right and a knight of the British Empire. It is justly known as the House of the Brave. In their first year, they foiled a plot by Tom Riddle, working through a possessed professor to come back from the dead. With logic, skills, and bravery far exceeding their age, they took it upon themselves to take action when even the school professors ignored them. In their second year, a shade of Tom Riddle possessed a young girl and loosed a monster on the school. He would have been reborn and people killed if not for the actions of these three children. They stopped Riddle and his monster, almost paying with their own lives. In the third year, they assisted an innocent man, one who had been imprisoned without trial, to attempt to clear his name while risking their lives once again to dark creatures that would steal their very souls. Unfortunately, Sirius Black died before his name was cleared, but he lost his life while battling the agents of Riddle, protecting his Godson. Lord Sirius Black did have two years of freedom from prison, even though on the run, he fought for the very world which condemned him. Lord Hufflepuff, would you please come forward?"

Harry was stunned, but went forward with numbed legs. He once again bowed and the Queen spoke.

"Lord Hufflepuff, as the heir of Lord Sirius Black and the new Lord Black, I ask you to receive the thanks of a grateful Sovereign and Nation. By my authority as Elizabeth II, reigning Monarch of Great Britain, I hereby posthumously induct Lord Sirius Black into the Order of the British Empire at the rank of Knight Commander and dub him Sir Black. Please accept this token of his office and Our condolences."

At this point, Harry was a wreck. He choked out his thanks to the Queen, took the medal and returned to his seat. Elizabeth continued.

"The next year, traitorous agents of Riddle schemed once again to bring him back. They forced a fourteen year old into a life threatening tournament meant for adults. The fourteen year old triumphed over the adults, but in a show of school solidarity, shared his victory with the designated co champion of his school. It was a fatal decision. His schoolmate was murdered by Riddle's agent, the fourteen year old's blood was forcibly taken to resurrect Riddle. He was chosen because he was considered a threat and an enemy to Riddle. This schoolchild dueled Riddle to a draw, and in the finest fighting tradition of the British Empire, recovered his friend's body while under fire, returning the body to his friend's family. His two friends assisted him once again during his ordeal, giving him logistical and moral support. He returned to warn the magical world of Riddle's return."

"Last year, he was ridiculed and slandered by a government and media that did not want to face the fact that Riddle had returned. A corrupt Minister and his Undersecretary used every tactic they could to shut him up, including torture and attempted murder. He was also tortured by Riddle through his cursed scar connection. In the midst of this, he and his friends did the job of the teachers, supplementing the Ministry's insufficient training by starting an underground defense society, then culminating the year with a raid on the very government building which should have been protected by their society's guardians, to prevent Riddle from capturing a weapon that could have overthrown the government. This is when Sir Black was murdered by his own cousin, an agent of Riddle and traitor to Great Britain. Six children fought twelve terrorists, besting them and capturing many of them."

"This year, they foiled a plot by a so-called Leader of the Light, one which would have cost the life of one of the three and given the magical world over to one who was almost as bad. It has been requested that this person not be named, since he was a hero to many and redeemed himself in the end at the cost of his own life. We shall let the matter drop. I would like Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Lord Hufflepuff to come forward."

The room broke out into a buzz. The three teens came forward, standing before Elizabeth. The person that Hermione had dubbed 'the Queen's shadow' came forward, holding a sword. "Miss Granger, please kneel." Suddenly the pillow on the floor made sense.

"Hermione Granger. For your brilliance, perseverance, and courage in service to both the magical and mundane societies of the British Empire, I, Elizabeth II, reigning Monarch of Great Britain and the Magical British Empire, induct you into the Order of the British Empire with the rank of Dame Commander and dub thee Dame Hermione Granger. Please rise." Elizabeth placed a medallion around Hermione's neck, and with a very unqueenly show of affection, gave her a quick hug. Hermione stepped back, eyes glistening.

"Ronald Weasley, please kneel." Ron did so. "Ronald Bulius Weasley, For your courage and loyalty under fire, and for your service in foiling the plots of the terrorist Tom Riddle and his agents, I, Elizabeth II, reigning Monarch of Great Britain and the Magical British Empire, induct you into the Order of Great Britain with the rank of Knight Commander, and dub thee Sir Ronald Weasley. Please rise, on second thought, you are so tall you may remain kneeling for a second more." To the chuckles of many in the room, Elizabeth reached over and placed the medallion around Ron's neck. "You may now rise."

"Lord Harry Potter-Black- Hufflepuff, please kneel. For your untiring courage under fire in the war against the terrorist Tom Riddle, and for your actions in foiling his plots against both magical and mundane Britain, at the risk of your own life, I, Elizabeth II, reigning monarch of Great Britain and the Magical British Empire, hereby induct you into the Order of Great Britain with the rank of Knight Grand Cross and dub thee Sir Harry Potter-Black. Please rise." Harry stood, and being much shorter than Ron, bowed his head to receive his medallion of office. The Queen dismissed them to their seats, then dropped another bombshell.

"We have heard of the discrimination against mundane-born subjects of ours in the magical world," Elizabeth's voice and visage became steely. The purebloods in the room began looking nervous and some gave audible gulps. "We are very unhappy about this situation, and will now act to rectify it. This also will address the discrimination against Our subjects suffering from incurable disease such as lycanthropy. Far too long have we unknowingly allowed this injustice to continue. EVERY British subject is entitled to fair and impartial treatment at the hands of their government and fellow subjects. I require from every magical person here a binding magical oath of silence on this next subject. You shall not speak of it until June first, when it shall come into force."

Every magical in the room felt a compulsion to bring out their wands, and without knowing why, give an Oath of Silence to Elizabeth in regards to this subject. As eight wands glowed in response, she looked over at the Grangers. "Doctors Granger, this is to be covered, in your case, by the Official Secrets Act." Elizabeth held out her hand and her shadow handed her a rolled parchment.

"It is proclaimed on this second day of April, in the year of our Lord 1996, I, Elizabeth II, reigning Monarch of Great Britain and the Magical British Empire, and by authority of Merlin's Oath," There were gasps in the room as every magical felt the power of the Oath. "that the magical government of Britain shall be dissolved on the first day of June, 1996. It shall be governed at the pleasure of Her Majesty Elizabeth II through her Royal Governor to the magical world, Lord Gryffindor, Arthur Weasley, until a new government can be formed. The new government shall consist of a House of Lords, made up of the members of the former Wizengamot, a House of Commons elected by all citizens of magical Britain, regardless of blood status or medical condition. The House of Commons shall consist of any citizen, regardless of blood status or physical ailment, with 12 seats apportioned to the Goblin Nation. Goblins, although technically not subjects of the Crown, are still citizens of magical Britain, with all rights and responsibilities that entails. Should any goblin, or the Goblin Nation as a whole, swear an oath of fealty to the Crown, they would become self governing subjects of the Crown with all rights and responsibilities assigned to all subjects. The Minister of Magic shall be elected from the ranks of the House of Commons, much as the Prime Minister of Great Britain is elected."

"Be it also proclaimed, although slavery is abhorrent to the Crown, it is known that House Elves have a genetic condition that will kill them or rob them of their power if they are not bonded. This condition however, does not give humans the right to enslave them should they want freedom, nor allow for mistreatment. Therefore the Crown imposes on all magical Britain, under the authority of Merlin's Oath, a Elvin Bill of Rights conferring the right to liberty should they desire and the right to fair treatment and wages. Any House Elf that desires may break their bondage and swear fealty to the Crown. This will bind them as subjects of the Crown and confer upon them the status of subject of the Crown, with all the attendant rights and responsibilities. They will also become full citizens of the Magical British Empire. Should they desire this, it would allow them to live with all of their magic intact."

"It is also proclaimed that magicals with lycanthropy shall no longer be considered creatures, but rather as British Magical subjects, with full rights. This also applies to human hybrids such as veela and giants. The Royal Governor shall, until such time as he is replaced by the new government, research the existing laws and regulations in the Magical British Empire, and void any law or regulation that violates the basic human rights enjoyed by all British subjects."

"One last matter is the irresponsibility of the magical press. It is proclaimed that the media of the Magical British Empire shall be subject to the same laws of slander and libel that apply to the media in mundane Great Britain. Other laws dealing with copyrights and patents shall also be imposed during the Governor's term of office. Lord Gryffindor, please come forward."

Arthur went to the front of the room and gave a bow. "Lord Gryffindor, Arthur Weasley at your service and command, Your Highness."

"Lord Gryffindor," Elizabeth said, handing him a rolled up set of parchments, "here is your commission to the Office of Governor to the Magical British Empire along with your charter and responsibilities."

Turning to the audience, the Queen declared, "This ceremony is over; please join us in the next room for dinner and social conversation. I would like to meet each and every one of you. Thank you." The audience stood and followed her out of the room.

Later that evening during cocktails, Hermione managed to get Elizabeth's attention. "Your Majesty, I am curious about one thing; why did you delay the enactment of the proclamation until June first?"

Elizabeth just smiled. "I wanted to make sure that Harry would be back from his honeymoon."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_A/N: I really wanted to finish it up including the wedding, but there is just too much stuff to cover. I will write Merlin's Oath, Part 3 as soon as I can!_


	6. Merlin's Oath Pt III

**He Did it His Way**

**Chapter 29**

**The Mudblood Revolution**

**Chapter 6**

**Merlin's Oath, Part III**

_Disclaimer: I obviously do not own a billion dollar literary work, if I did, I would sell it to Rorschach's Blot just for the pleasure of reading books 8-50. In fact, I'm so poor I am going to be buried in a rented tuxedo... I will have the store bill our town council.._

_A/N: Sorry that it is taking so darned long to update, I keep getting waylaid by real life. I have also been getting tripped up by plot bunnies that have nothing to do with this story. **Please look at the bottom of my profile page! There is a link there to my new blog/update site. I am posting some of my older stories first, but will also be posting WIP work in sections as I finish it.**_

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_The Leaky Cauldron_

_London_

The rest of the school year went by so fast that Harry and friends hardly realized where the time had gone. Before they knew it, final exams were upon them and Harry and his brides-to-be were preparing for their wedding. Today he was meeting with Arthur Weasley, the Queen's new Royal Governor to the magical world, not that same magical world knew it....yet. Arthur had agreed to walk Daphne down the aisle in lieu of her deceased Death Eater father. Arthur had been quietly assessing different people associated with the Ministry in order to build a core group to run everything once the Queen's edict became effective in June. Doing this without breaking his secrecy oath was wearing on him; he looked like he had not slept in weeks.

" So Arthur, how is the staffing search going?" asked Harry.

"Not well Harry. There are too many departments that have hide-bound traditionalists manning them. It seems that every time I think I have someone figured out, they open their mouths and say something that would disqualify them for the post that I would like to offer. An example, I was looking at Perkins, the fellow who works with me at Misuse of Muggle Artefacts to head up the new Muggle Affairs Department. I took him out to lunch at that muggle Italian restaurant down the street from the Ministry, and when the waitress mixed up his order, he gave a twenty minute diatribe about how worthless muggles are and how they can't do anything right. I thought I was going to have to call in the Obliviators. Not exactly the kind of person I can have meeting with the Prime Minister."

Harry shook his head. "I don't envy you in the least. It seems that much of the Ministry is a living example of the 'Pieter Principle.'" At Arthurs quizzical look, he continued, "The Pieter Principle states that in any given organization, there will be people who are promoted to their level of incompetence. Once there, they stay forever. That said, I think that you are looking at this from the wrong angle. You already know that the Ministry is headed by a bunch of traditionalists; they will all have to be replaced."

"All of them, Harry? That will cause a panic in the ranks."

"No, you are just going to have to bring people up from the ranks. Recruit your department heads from those people who have been around long enough to know how the Ministry works, but not long enough to become too set in their ways. Look for the people who have been ridiculed for new ideas; make them your new department heads, just make sure that the ideas are compatible with the new Ministry policies. You are also going to have to close some departments, or change the very focus of those departments."

"Such as?"

"Well, for one, the Department for Control of Magical Creatures. Right now, they are tasked with 'controlling' such sentient beings as werewolves, centaurs, vampires and others. What you are going to need there is more along the lines of embassies for sentient beings. Even better than that would be to recognize those beings as full fledged members of the community. There will be goblins, house elves and other beings in the new House of Commons, they should be held to the same standards as witches and wizards. They can have their communities with leaders chosen by their own means, but still equal under the law. A law that recognizes all as equal is what the Queen has tasked you with. You are also going to have to tear down all of the barriers that have held back people by discriminating by blood status or medical conditions. If I were you, I would get the assistance of a bunch of half blood and muggleborns to go through the discriminating laws and let them cut them out. You will need a working legal system and basic law the day you take office. Swear them to secrecy but don't tell them why you are doing it. That way you will not be violating your oath."

"That is quite a bit to chew on. I think that I will tap Remus Lupin for one of the departments. Do you think that Hermione would be available for some of the research?"

"I'm sure of it. You should ask her for copies of the Magna Carta and the United Nations conference on Human Rights documents. That would be a good start to levelling the playing field. You do know where your biggest problem is going to be, don't you?"

"The Department of Mysteries?"

"Right in one. They are independent of the Ministry, even in much of their funding. You are going to have to meet with Her Majesty and have her bring them under your authority under Merlin's Oath. They will scream about it, but in the end, they will have to do it. Every government has secrets, but they still need accountability. There will probably be a time that they will need to report directly to Her Majesty, but for now they should report to the Governor."

"Just one more thing on an overloaded plate. Now why don't we talk about something really important? How are the wedding plans coming along?"

Harry laughed. "From my side, they are going well. Of course, for guys, we just have to show up on time, dressed in the right clothes and reasonably sober. Now as far as Daphne and Jennifer go....That's a whole different story. Absolutely nothing is right. The other morning, I walked into their quarters to give them each a kiss to start the day, they rolled out of bed, jumped on their menstrual cycles and ran my arse over!* Now I just try to stay out of their way."

"Are you succeeding?"

"Not as much as I would like. I do have the excuse that I am cramming for my N.E.W.T.S. With all of the private instructions, I am scheduled to take them a week before the wedding."

"When will the girls take theirs?"

"Right now we are shooting for December. They will be using tutors next year rather than going back to Hogwarts."

"When you finish your tests, come see me, I can figure out some place that you will fit in well."

"Arthur, with all due respect, I don't think that would be a good idea. We are trying to break the back of the pureblood faction controlling the Ministry. I need to find my place in life on my own merits, not because of who my parents were." Seeing the other man start to object, he continued. "I know that it would not be the case with you, but the outside world would see me as no different than Lucius Malfoy, using his status to gain favourable treatment. I will keep my seats in the House of Lords, but that will be the extent of my government service."

"If you're sure Harry, far be it from me to contradict you. The last thing I need is to be seen as some sort of puppet with your hand up my back. I need to get back to the office; I've got the check."

The two men got up and got ready to leave, Arthur dropping a couple of galleons on their table to cover lunch.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Harry originally planned to have his wedding during the Christmas break, however that was not to be. Besides the fact that the Archbishop of Canterbury refused to close Westminster Abbey for the remodelling during the Christmas break; the soonest he would allow the wedding and the refurbishing work was the week after Holy Week, culminating in Easter Sunday, but the girls also demanded more time to plan the wedding properly. Other than the obvious reason of sexual tension and wanting to start the honeymoon soon, Harry had no good reason to deny them the extra time.

About that sexual tension though.... Harry thought that he might very well go insane by the time of the wedding. Jennifer and Daphne seemed to be intent on driving him to madness with their teasing. They put on a impromptu fashion show one evening, modelling their undergarments and some of the lingerie they had received at their wedding shower. It was all Harry could do to keep himself from jumping up and ravishing them both. He would have to have dragged his chair along because Jennifer had taken his wand and Daphne had stuck him to the chair and petrified his arms so he couldn't use a wandless spell to free himself.

It was especially hard for Harry to contain himself when the girls began kissing and fondling each other, all the time looking at him and asking if he would like to be in the middle. When they finally let him loose, he walked painfully, bent over, to the bathroom for an ice cold shower.

Damn! He couldn't wait for Easter to be done with!

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Snowdonia National Park_

_Wales_

Voldemort and crew had taken over an abandoned farm house in the park for their headquarters. The defection of Pierre LaFort and his information regarding Voldemort's location had forced them to flee England for the less hostile mountains of Wales. This location also made it harder for the new recruits who might have had second thoughts to make their way to the Ministry to defect. Voldemort's new training officer, a German named Fritz Steinhauer, was a former GSG-9 officer who had been dishonourably discharged for brutality. He was currently making life hell for the other Death Eaters whipping them into shape, sometimes literally. Steinhauer had two brothers, Franz and Dolph, who were in Germany recruiting among the pureblood factions, many of whom were involved as youth in Grindlewald's forces and the Hitler Youth. The new recruits would make their way to him using muggle means, then be marked.

Umbridge was still the second in command, because she was not only sadistic, but also efficient. Although not a strong witch, she took to the Cruciatus Curse with an abandon that would have brought a jealous tear to Bellatrix Lestrange's eye. Voldemort did not really trust her, but he kept her in line with a promise to make her Minister of Magic when he took down the Ministry. Voldemort figured that would last about a month, just until she cleansed the Ministry of mudbloods and put his loyalists in position, then he would kill her, if for no other reason than that simpering, whinging voice.

Voldemort figured that it would take until the end of May for his forces to be strong and well trained enough to take on the Ministry. He had, with his foreign fighters, a force of 100 strong. If he could double that by the end of May, using the lesser trained Death Eaters as shock troops, then unleashing his hardened troops, the Ministry would fall like a house of cards. With Dumbledore out of his way, Hogwarts would fall quickly. He didn't even count Harry Potter to be any problem; all the brat had ever been able to do was escape him and the incompetent Death Eaters like Lucius Malfoy. The reason he failed previously was that he had attempted to make the Ministry fall from the inside, by placing people in positions to make the Ministry weak. At the best, they had been incompetent. At worst, they were weak willed idiots who would just as easily turn on him, having proven they were traitors.

For no other reason than boredom, Voldemort relaxed into a meditative position and searched for his link to Potter. For the first time in ages, he caught the teen unaware and got a glimpse of what Potter was seeing. And feeling.... there was a girl in front of him wearing nothing but a tiny silver and green bra and thong knickers. She was dancing in front of Potter, but he was looking around another girl in order to see the first. The one sitting on Potter's lap and grinding was wearing a similar get up, but in different colours. It seemed that Potter was in a high state of sexual tension. He watched as the second girl got up from Potter's lap and joined the first in her dance, all the while kissing and caressing the first girl, who he recognized from reports as a Slytherin sixth year. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of pain, and Voldemort keeled over, falling to the floor.

At the sound of her Lord's body hitting the floor, Dolores Umbridge rushed into the room to her master's side. "My Lord, is there anything I can do?"

Voldemort looked into the frog like face of his second, compared it to what he had seen through Potter's eyes and groaned out; "Dolores, stand still a moment.... _CRUCIO!_

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Harry was having a great time watching Daphne do her bump and grind dance while Jennifer did the lap dance, that is until Jennifer got up and joined Daphne. He then had a flash of pain in his scar, which began bleeding. The pain was so intense that Harry lost consciousness for a moment. He awakened to find Jennifer daubing his forehead with a damp cloth while Daphne was at the fireplace frantically calling for Madam Pomphrey. He cleared his throat and announced,

"He's back".

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Ministry of Magic_

_Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Department_

Arthur Weasley sat back in his chair following a long day at work. They had been called on several muggle baiting calls, from ballpoint pens charmed to spit acid when used to a full set of biting teacups at a muggle women's garden club meeting. The Obliviators had put in some overtime on that one, having to chase down a attendance list of over a hundred women. Luckily one of the women was a squib who was able to call in on the fellytone. The Ministry maintained an emergency number at the Leaky Cauldron for just such purposes. He looked over at his officemate, Perkins.

"I'm heading home. Are you about ready?"

Perkins waved him off. "Go ahead Arthur. I just got a memo about a cuckoo clock that someone charmed so the bird flies around the room insulting the muggles."

"All right then, I'll see you Monday." Arthur left the room, anxious to get home to some of Molly's cooking.

Perkins waited a few minutes until he was sure Arthur was gone, then went to Arthur's desk and used an unlocking charm on the drawer. He was going to find out what Arthur had been hiding for the past few weeks. He had seen Arthur working on a large rolled up parchment, but when he asked about it, Arthur would roll it up, make some lame excuse, then put it away. This had Perkins losing his normal blasé attitude and begin burning with curiosity.

Perkins found the parchment, took it out and unrolled it. What he saw was an organizational chart, with Queen Elizabeth on the top, Tony Blair directly underneath, with a parallel line to Arthur's name and the title 'Lord Gryffindor, Royal Magical Governor', then a series of lines to boxes made up of ministry departments, some in existence now and some that were new. There was a separate group of lines showing the existing Wizengamot, titled 'House of Magical Lords, and another group that was titled 'Elected Magical House of Commons'. The outrageous part of that were blocks showing seats reserved for goblins, house elves and 'other beings'.

Perkins sat back in his seat with a thump. It was impossible, but the proof was sitting right in front of his face; Arthur Weasley was a traitor to Magical Britain! He was planning a revolution that would turn the government over to muggles, mudbloods and creatures! And he had placed himself where the Minister of Magic should be, doing away with the office completely and reporting only to the Queen, a MUGGLE! This could not stand! He noticed that most of the Ministry spots were not filled in, but he had a werewolf heading an office called, of all things, Lycan Affairs. He needed to get this to the Minister right away. Weasley would be in DMLE custody before morning, then he, Perkins, would be the Head of the Department! He rolled the chart up and began to stand up, only to be met by the steely-eyed gaze of Arthur Weasley. Perkins gulped. This was not the gentle wizard he had worked with for the past fifteen years; it was the Arthur Weasley who had been known by the Unspeakable code name Bulldog, for the relentless way he tracked and put away Death Eaters back in the first war.

"Going somewhere with that"? Arthur asked, gesturing at the rolled up chart.

"A-a-arthur! Surely not you. Planning a revolution? This is treason!" Since Perkins saw no way out of this, he figured he might as well try to bluff his way past Arthur. He also realized, with a sinking stomach, that it was not going to work.

"Perkins," Arthur said with a sigh, "I was going to make you a department chief, until you went off on those muggles at the restaurant last week. No Perkins, this," pointing at the chart, "is not treason, the way this Ministry has been run the past few hundred years, now THAT is treason. The Ministry was formed to keep the King's peace in the magical world; it was never intended to be separate from the Monarchy. It is out of control and the Queen has decided to bring the magical government back into the fold. Now I could just order you to keep it secret under the authority of Queen Elizabeth II and Merlin's Oath, but I could not be sure that you would do it. Breaking the Oath would mean you would lose your magic and become a squib, but I can't be sure that you wouldn't do it anyway, trying to call my bluff. I assure you though, it is no bluff."

Perkins was beginning to sweat. "So what are you going to do, Arthur? Kill me? I'm loyal to the Ministry, not muggles!"

"Perkins, didn't you feel your magic responding when I mentioned Merlin's Oath? That Oath is what keeps the magical world as subjects to the Monarchy, with all the rights and responsibilities. I'm bound by the Oath, you're bound by it, and every other magical being in Britain who has ever uttered the name of Merlin is bound by it."

"I'll never be bound to serve some damn muggle!" With a shocked face, Perkins felt 'something' leave him. Arthur shook his head sadly.

"What you just felt was your magic leaving you. You are no more than a squib now. I'm sorry Perkins, but I can't have a squib running around with the information you have in your head right now. _OBLIVIATE!" _Arthur then took the organizational chart from Perkins and guided the befuddled squib outside, side-along apparating him to his home, where he stood outside and watched him go inside before apparating back to the Burrow. Perkins would never know why he just woke up one morning with no magic, but Arthur would let him quietly retire with a full pension.

**-----o0O0o-----**

* They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, therefore all credit for this line goes to the genius comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham and Walter. Dragonstorm 316 corrected me on this one; I incorrectly attributed the line to Ron White..... but can't you just hear him saying that while holding that glass of scotch and that huge cigar that looks like a turd from a german shepherd?


End file.
